The American Civil Liberties Union has halted Donald Trump’s executive order banning immigration from predominantly Muslim countries, after a federal judge granted a nationwide temporary stay allowing people with visas to remain in the United States, The Verge reports, but "stopped short of letting them into the country or issuing a broader ruling on the constitutionality of Mr. Trump’s actions," as stated by The New York Times.
The stay also applies to those who are currently in transit, but not to those from the seven banned countries still looking to enter the country.
On Saturday afternoon, the ACLU filed a class action lawsuit against Trump’s widely condemned policy, on behalf of Hameed Khalid Darweesh and Sameer Abdulkhaleq Alshawi, the two Iraqi men who were detained at JFK airport, an action that sparked widespread protests in New York City and around the country.
The judge made a point of reminding the lawyers that the stay is only temporary, until a new and permanent ruling is made. “I think the government hasn’t had a full chance to think about this,” Judge Ann M. Donnelly of Federal District Court in Brooklyn said. Still, Saturday night’s news is a massive win for those opposed to Trump’s ban, and was celebrated on social media, as well as by protesters at airports nationwide.
However, critics were quick to point out that while the stay will prevent people from being deported for the time being, it doesn't mean that Trump and his administration can't push back.
In other words, this is just the beginning of a long fight expected to play out blow by blow on the international stage. You can do your part by donating to the ACLU here.
