State Department Reinstates Visas After Federal Judge Puts Travel Ban On Hold
WASHINGTON (CBS/AP) — The State Department says it's reversed the cancellations of visas for foreigners after a federal judge put on hold President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration.
The department had said up to 60,000 foreigners from seven majority-Muslim countries had their visas "provisionally revoked" to comply with Trump's order blocking them from traveling to the United States.
The department says it acted to reinstate the visas after getting word from the Justice Department about the judge's ruling Friday in Washington state.
For now, the department says people covered by the order and holding a valid visa may now travel to the United States.
President Trump isn't happy about the decision.
The White House has promised a quick appeal and Trump has taken to Twitter to vent his frustration with the ruling.
He says "the opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!"
Trump also tweets that "when a country is no longer able to say who can and who cannot come in & out, especially for reasons of safety & security — big trouble!"
Before the ruling in Washington state, a federal judge denied an extension on the Boston stay against President Trump's immigration order.
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