WASHINGTON: Fresh from a legal setback to his travel ban, US President Donald Trump expressed confidence on Friday that his order would be upheld by the courts, and promised to introduce additional national security steps next week.
Trump’s executive order banning entry to the United States by refugees and by citizens of seven Muslim-majority was put on hold by a federal judge in Seattle last week, and that suspension was upheld by an appeals court in San Francisco on Thursday.
The White House is not ruling out the possibility of rewriting Trump’s Jan 27 order in light of the court actions, an administration official said.
Applying the brakes
Trump’s order, which he has called a national security measure to head off attacks by militants, barred people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days, except refugees from Syria, who are banned indefinitely.
“We are going to do whatever’s necessary to keep our country safe,” Trump said during a White House news conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.