DHS Official Says NY Judge’s Ruling Will Not Affect Travel Ban

Passengers arrives during a demonstration against the new ban on immigration issued by President Donald Trump at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts on Jan. 28, 2017. President Trump signed an executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

The Homeland Security Department says a New York court order temporarily barring the U.S. from deporting people from nations subject to President Donald Trump’s travel ban will not affect the overall implementation of the White House executive action.

The agency said the court order affected a relatively small number of travelers who were inconvenienced by security procedures upon their return.

The department’s statement said: “President Trump’s Executive Orders remain in place—prohibited travel will remain prohibited, and the U.S. government retains its right to revoke visas at any time if required for national security or public safety,” according to the DHS statement, AP reported.

Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to the White House, said that nothing in the judge’s order “in anyway impedes or prevents the implementation of the president’s executive order which remains in full, complete and total effect.”

“There is imminent danger that, absent the stay of removal, there will be substantial and irreparable injury to refugees, visa-holders, and other individuals from nations subject to the January 27, 2017, Executive Order,” US District Judge Ann Donnelly said in her ruling.

This comes after the ACLU filed a habeas corpus petition for two Iraqi refugees who were detained by border agents at JFK Airport in New York City. They were granted asylum and had valid visas.

The judge’s order on Saturday evening will “not allow the government to remove anybody who has come and is caught up in the order nationwide. They cannot remove anybody,” Lee Gelernt, the deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, was quoted by Business Insider as saying.

“The key tonight was to make sure no one was put back on a plane.”

ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said that Trump suffered his “first loss” in court with the ruling. “Clearly the judge understood the possibility for irreparable harm to hundreds of immigrants and lawful visitors to this country. Our courts today worked as they should as bulwarks against government abuse or unconstitutional policies and orders,” Romero stated.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.