President Trump’s executive order banning travelers from seven countries could be over just one chaotic week after its hasty introduction. That’s because a federal judge from Seattle has obtained a restraining order which looks set to overrule the order with nationwide effect.
The ruling came after U.S. states Washington and Minnesota filed legal action against the order on the grounds that it harmed them by preventing individuals such as students and workers from returning home, as Reuters reported. Amazon, Expedia and Microsoft were among the backers of the lawsuit, which argued that the ban — which is said to have revoked 60,000-100,000 visas — is unconstitutional. Ruling Federal Judge James Robart is due to provide a full write-up this weekend, but already political figures have hailed the verdict.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee tweeted that it is proof that nobody, even the President, is above the law.
The Trump administration can appeal the verdict, but there’s no word on whether it will at this point.
“The Department looks forward to reviewing the court’s written order and will determine next steps,” The Justice Department said in a statement to Reuters.
The executive orders, signed one week ago, prompted a wave of criticism from the tech industry among other sections of U.S. society. In particular, Google created a $4 million program, its largest ‘crisis fund’ ever, for donations to pro-immigration organizations including the ACLU, which pulled in over $24 million last weekend — six-times its fundraising total in 2016. Other ACLU donors included Twitter staff ($1.59 million), Lyft ($1 million) and a range of top names from the tech space.
Today’s news could set a precedent for action against future executive orders, which is noteworthy because the Trump administration is looking into reviewing H1-B visa policy, while its approach to cybersecurity remains unclear after the President canceled the signing of an executive order.