Trump travel ban: Judge places indefinite hold

A US federal judge in Hawaii has indefinitely extended the suspension of President Donald Trump's new travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority countries which aims to prevent terrorists from entering America.

The US District Judge Derrick Watson blocked the core provision of the revised executive order two weeks ago arguing that it violated Establishment Clause of the Constitution by disfavouring Muslims. "The court concludes that, on the record before it, plaintiffs have met their burden of establishing a strong likelihood of success on the merits of their Establishment Clause claim," Watson wrote in his order on Wednesday. Watson's earlier decision, issued on March 15, was only a limited freeze of the executive order through a temporary restraining order. As a result, the plaintiffs asked the judge to convert that decision into a longer-term preliminary injunction and Watson agreed. The six Muslim-majority countries are Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Watson's earlier decision, issued on March 15, was only a limited freeze of the executive order through a temporary restraining order. As a result, the plaintiffs asked the judge to convert that decision into a longer-term preliminary injunction and Watson agreed. The six Muslim-majority countries are Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.