The U.S. Justice Department has moved to appeal a decision that temporarily halts enforcement of President Donald Trump's travel ban.
The appeal comes after a US district court on Friday halted the enforcement of Trump's executive order that banned travel to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days, suspended all refugee entry to the US for 120 days and indefinitely suspended entry for Syrian refugees.
A notice of appeal was sent Saturday night to the US district court, where Judge James Robart presides in Seattle, reports the CNN.
The Justice Department is expected to file its brief laying out its legal argument soon to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which will hear the appeal.
Hours after the ruling, the Department of Homeland Security announced it had suspended all actions to implement the immigration order and would resume standard inspections of travellers as it did prior to the signing of the travel ban. But it urged the Justice Department to challenge the ruling "at the earliest possible time."
Earlier, President Trump blasted the ruling in a series of tweets saying, "The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!"
"When a country is no longer able to say who can, and who cannot, come in & out, especially for reasons of safety &.security - big trouble!" he followed.