The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Saturday suspended all actions to implement President Donald Trump's immigration order after a federal judge in Seattle issued a ruling to temporarily block the executive order on immigration and refugees.
"In accordance with the judge's ruling, DHS has suspended any and all actions implementing the affected sections of the Executive Order entitled 'Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States'. This includes actions to suspend passenger system rules that flag travellers for operational action subject to the Executive Order," DHS acting press secretary Gillian Christensen said in a statement.
She said that the department will resume inspections of travellers as it did prior to the signing of the executive order.
According to CNN, the department has reversed the cancellation of visas that were provisionally revoked following the Trump administration's travel ban - so long as those visas were not stamped or marked as cancelled.
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.
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The U.S. Customs and Border Protection also alerted airlines that the U.S. government would quickly begin reinstating visas that were previously cancelled and it advised airlines that refugees in possession of U.S. visas will be admitted as well.
Airlines are adjusting to the new development.
On Saturday, Qatar Airways announced it will allow nationals from the seven countries affected by Trump's travel ban and all refugees presenting a valid, unexpired US visa or green card to travel to the United States.
Trump's executive order that he signed last week suspended immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days, the US refugee program for 120 days and indefinitely halted Syrian refugees from entering the U.S.
The seven affected Muslim-majority countries are Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
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