2 Federal Judges Rule Against Trump’s Latest Travel Ban

March 16, 2017

The rulings were a second major setback for Mr. Trump in his pursuit of a policy that he has trumpeted as critical for national security. His first attempt to sharply limit travel from a handful of predominantly Muslim countries ended in a courtroom fiasco last month, when a federal court in Seattle halted it.

But in a pointed decision that repeatedly invoked Mr. Trump's public comments, Judge Derrick K. Watson, of Federal District Court in Honolulu, wrote that a "reasonable, objective observer" would view even the new order as "issued with a purpose to disfavor a particular religion, in spite of its stated, religiously neutral purpose."

Mr. Trump lashed out at Judge Watson during a campaign-style rally in Nashville late on Wednesday. Raising his voice to a hoarse shout, Mr. Trump accused the judge of ruling "for political reasons" and criticized the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which upheld the earlier decision against his administration and will hear any appeal to the Hawaii ruling.

"This ruling makes us look weak, which by the way we no longer are, believe me," Mr. Trump said, to mounting cheers from a loyal crowd.

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The New York Times