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Read the press release here.

Trump's Refugee Ban Halted Nationwide by Seattle Judge

By John Ness | February 4, 2017 11:10am
 JFK Terminal 5.
JFK Terminal 5.
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NEW YORK — A federal judge has blocked all aspects of President Donald Trump's refugee ban, effective immediately, opening the way for residents of seven Muslim-majority countries to enter the U.S., according to reports.

The effects of the ruling (full text here) reverberated nationwide, as U.S. agencies announced they would restore canceled visas and airlines said they would allow passengers with valid documentation to board U.S.-bound flights.

The Department of Homeland Security said Saturday morning that it would immediately suspend all actions to carry out Trump's immigration order, according to CNN. 

Trump called the judge's decision "ridiculous" and vowed the ruling would be tossed out.

The federal judge who issued the ruling, James Robart, was a George W. Bush appointee who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate with 99 votes (one senator did not vote) in 2004.

"The decision in Washington reaffirms that the courts will stand up to the president," Lee Gelernt, the lawyer who successfully argued for an earlier restraining order last week in Brooklyn, told USA Today.