Trump Travel Ban: President Derides 'So-Called Judge' For Allowing 'Bad People' To Enter US

UPDATE: 4:11 a.m. EST— The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Sunday morning denied the Justice Department’s initial request for an immediate stay to a federal judge’s temporary restraining order on President Donald Trump’s travel ban.

"The court has received appellants' emergency motion," the order from the appeals court read. "Appellants' request for an immediate administrative stay pending full consideration of the emergency motion for a stay pending appeal is denied."

Original Story

President Donald Trump went on a Twitter rant Saturday against the "so called judge" who issued a temporary nationwide block to the travel ban on seven Muslim-majority nations. Trump kicked off the first day of his vacation in Mar-a-Lago Saturday morning by slamming Federal Judge James Robart of Seattle.

“The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!” the president told his 23.6 million followers. Later Saturday, Trump called the judge's ruling a "terrible" decision and warned that "many very bad and dangerous people" might enter the country.

Late Saturday, the Justice Department filed a motion to appeal Robart's order blocking Trump's immigration restrictions, which, among other things, banned travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the U.S. The ruling by Robart will remain in place unless an appeals court blocks the lower court order.

After Robart's ruling Friday, the Department of Homeland Security reverted to the immigration procedures that were in place before the Jan. 27 executive order. Individuals from the affected countries are now being allowed to board flights to the U.S.

"The Department of State had, under the Executive Order, provisionally revoked all valid visas of nationals of those seven countries, with limited exceptions. That provisional revocation is now lifted, and those visas are now valid for travel to the United States, if the holder is otherwise eligible," the State Department said in a statement Saturday.

Trump’s controversial executive order had put in place a 90-day ban on visa-holders from seven nations, an indefinite ban on Syrian refugee admissions, and a 120-day ban on the entire refugee program.

"The president's order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement early Saturday, calling the order "lawful and appropriate."