Appeals court rejects Trump’s request to restore travel ban

A US court has denied an emergency appeal from the Department of Justice to restore President Donald Trump’s executive order banning citizens of seven Muslim countries from entering the United States.

"Appellants' request for an immediate administrative stay pending full consideration of the emergency motion for a stay pending appeal is denied," the ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said on Sunday.

On Saturday night, Trump said the Justice Department would succeed in appealing District Court Judge James Robart’s order which lifted his administration's travel ban on citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

"We'll win. For the safety of the country, we'll win," Trump told reporters at his private Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump said that "the opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!"

Trump's tweets drew a swift condemnation from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

"The President's attack on Judge James Robart, a Bush appointee who passed with 99 votes, shows a disdain for an independent judiciary that doesn't always bend to his wishes and a continued lack of respect for the Constitution, making it more important that the Supreme Court serve as an independent check on the administration," Schumer said.

Trump has also come under considerable pressure from politicians and rights groups to rescind the Muslim ban.

The measure has created a global backlash with an increasing number of countries, including long-standing US allies, criticizing the curbs as discriminatory and divisive.

A Democratic lawmaker suggested Saturday that Trump needs a mental check-up over his extreme measures.

"Last 24 hrs on Twitter, Donald Trump went on rant about 'death & destruction,' 'FAKE NEWS,' & 'evil.' Should he get mental health exam?" California Congressman Ted Lieu tweeted Saturday.

Following Robart’s decision, the State Department said it was reversing the cancellation of visas, more than 100,000 of which were revoked after Trump's directive last week.