Judge blocks Trump’s travel ban for now

A federal judge in Seattle granted a nationwide temporary restraining order Friday blocking President Donald Trump's directive barring nationals from seven countries from entering the United States.

The judge's order represents a major challenge to the Trump administration, which is expected to appeal.

The judge then declined to stay the order, suggesting that travel restrictions could be lifted immediately.

The challenge was brought by the state of Washington and later joined by Minnesota.

The Seattle judge ruled that the states have legal standing to sue - which could help Democratic attorneys general take on Trump on issues beyond immigration.

'It's a wonderful day for the rule of law in this country,” said Washington state solicitor general Noah Purcell.

The decision came on a day that attorneys from four states were in courts challenging Trump's Jan. 27 executive order. Trump justified the action on national security grounds, but opponents labeled it an unconstitutional targeting of people for religious beliefs.

Earlier, a federal judge in Boston declined to extend a temporary restraining order there that allowed some immigrants into the United States from some countries, expressing skepticism that the travel ban targeted religion.

Also Friday, a federal judge in Virginia ordered the White House to provide a list of people stopped from entering the United States.

The State Department said that fewer than 60,000 visas previously issued to citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen had been yanked.

That disclosure quickly followed reports that government lawyers had cited a figure of 100,000 to federal Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia.

On Friday, Hawaii also joined the challenge to the executive order, filing a lawsuit alleging it is unconstitutional.

The new Republican president's order triggered chaos at U.S. airports last weekend. Some travelers abroad were turned back from flights into the United States; crowds of hundreds of people packed into arrival areas to protest; and legal objections were filed across the country.

The order also temporarily stopped the entry of all refugees into the country and indefinitely halted the settlement of Syrian refugees.

In retaliation for being included in the ban, Iran banned the U.S.'s top freestyle wrestlers from a much-anticipated international tournament.

The decision, first announced Friday by the Islamic Republic News Agency, means the wrestlers can't compete in the Feb. 16-17 World Cup tournament.

The American squad was to include Kyle Snyder, who won gold at the Rio Olympics, and Jordan Burroughs, the three-time world champion and gold medalist from the 2012 Summer Games.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued some clarification Friday of Trump's order, stating there were no plans to extend it beyond the seven countries.

The DHS also reiterated that the ban did not apply to permanent residents, or green card holders, and some others, such as those who have helped the U.S. military.

Reuters and the Washington Post contributed to this report.