President Donald Trump defends his executive order on the temporary denial of entry to the U.S. of visitors and immigrants from seven-predominantly Muslim countries and the indefinite halt to the resettlement of all refugees to the U.S. for four months saying that the directive is being carried out well and " working out very nicely". Trump said he is happy with the situation over at the airports and everywhere, emphatically declaring that what his administration is carrying out is " not a Muslim ban" and that his government is " totally prepared."
The Republican President, speaking with reporters at the Oval Office on Saturday afternoon as he signs new executive orders on lobbying, plan to defeat the ISIS, and reorganization of the National Security Council, said that his administration is poised to implement extreme vetting on visitors, immigrants and refugees from the listed countries to better protect the lives and security of Americans. Trump said it was something that should have been done in the country for many years, a subtle hit on the failures of former President Barack Obama on such concern.
Individuals affected by the executive order who were on their way to enter back the U.S. but were detained in compliance with the new directive from Trump found temporary reprieve as U.S. District Court Judge Ann Donnelly ruled in favor of a habeas corpus petition filed by the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) for the benefit of two Iraqi men who were detained at JFK International Airport on Friday after the President signed his order.
The ruling states that there is "imminent danger that, absent the stay of removal, there will be substantial and irreparable injury to refugees, visa-holders and other individuals from nations subject to the President's order."
Interestingly, Donnelly was nominated by former President Barack Obama, and was confirmed to be a judge in 2015.
The ACLU believes the ruling preserves the status quo for now, and would also ensure that individuals previously allowed to be in the U.S. will not be removed from the country. While ACLU is claiming victory against the government and the executive order at this point, the Trump administration can, and most likely will, appeal Donnelly's ruling to a higher court.
