In a major blow to US President Donald Trump administration, a three-judge federal appeals panel has unanimously refused to reinstate the travel ban from countries like Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
According to New York Times, the ruling was the first from an appeals court on the travel ban, and it was focused on the narrow question of whether it should be blocked while courts consider its lawfulness.
The decision, from the panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, reviewed a ruling issued last Friday by Judge James L. Robart, a federal judge in Seattle.
The decision is likely to be quickly appealed to the United States Supreme Court.
Within minutes of the judges' decision, the President angrily tweeted his intent to appeal.
"SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!," Trump tweeted.
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Within an hour of the judgement, #NoBanNoWall started to trend on the social media.
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 Trump administration has said the seven nations - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen - have raised terrorism concerns.