A federal judge placed an emergency order Saturday halting the deportation of immigrants from seven Muslim-majority nations stuck at U.S. airports.
But the stay will apparently have little effect on the general implementation of the executive order, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Sunday.
“President Trump’s Executive Orders remain in place — prohibited travel will remain prohibited, and the U.S. government retains its right to revoke visas at any time if required for national security or public safety,” the statement read.
According to USA Today, Federal Judge Ann Donnelly of New York granted an emergency stay on parts of the order late Saturday, in response to a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of two Iraqi refugees who had been detained at JFK airport, USA Today reports.
The stay will prevent the government from deporting the estimated 200 citizens from the affected countries that had already arrived in the U.S., the ACLU says.
President Donald Trump made good on his campaign promise to ban Muslims from America by temporarily making it illegal for visa-holders and permanent residents from seven Muslim-majority countries to enter America. Citizens from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen will essentially be stopped from entering the country.
“We want to ensure that we are not admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas,” Trump said Friday. “We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country and love deeply our people.”
As for Trump, he reaffirmed his thoughts Sunday morning on social media.
The backlash has been intense with protests breaking out in major airports across the country. In addition, leaders from around the word have either condemned or shared their trepidations over the order.
Among those who voiced support for those targeted by the ban, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to social media with a welcoming message on behalf of the country.
