A federal appeals court Thursday refused to reinstate President Donald Trump's ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations.
The three-judge panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco unanimously declined to block a lower court ruling that suspended the ban and allowed previously barred travelers to enter the United States.
“See you in court, the security of our nation is at stake,” the president tweeted shortly after the court announced its decision. A short time later, he complained to reporters at the White house that the court made a "political decision," and said his administration eventually will win the case "very easily."
At a news conference in Seattle, Bob Ferguson, the attorney general for the state of Washington, which argued against restoring the Trump travel ban, said, “We are a nation of laws, and ... those laws apply to everybody in our country, and that includes the president of the United States. In my view, the future of the Constitution is at stake.”
When asked to respond to the Trump tweet, he noted that opponents are now two-for-two in challenging the Trump administration's ban in the courts. Ferguson said the president's ban had real human consequences, and he denied he is pursuing the case as a Democrat versus a Republican president.
The federal government is now expected to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Trump's ban was set to expire in 90 days, meaning it could run its course before the high court can take up the issue. The administration also could change the order, including altering its scope or duration.
The president said the order was vital for national security. But critics said the ban discriminated against Muslims, and they questioned its value as a security measure.