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The Department of Homeland Security said Saturday that it had suspended “any and all actions” related to Trump’s executive action after federal Judge James Robart issued a temporary restraining order, effective nationwide, in response to a lawsuit filed by the states of Washington and Minnesota. The suit argued that the president’s moves had amounted to religious discrimination against Muslims in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

On Saturday night, the Justice Department said it would appeal the order by Robart, an appointee of President George W. Bush who is now senior judge of the U.S. District for the Western District of Washington.

Early Sunday, the Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit denied the request to immediately reinstate Trump’s travel ban, asking both sides to file arguments by Monday.

The issue may eventually end up at the Supreme Court. Several other federal courts have also issued emergency stays against portions of the executive order as dozens of lawsuits proceed against it.

In response to Robart’s restraining order, the State Department, which had “provisionally revoked” 60,000 visas since the president signed his Jan. 27 order, said Saturday that it had started reaccepting those visas from people in the countries affected.

Some travelers in countries affected by the suspension already were being allowed to board planes headed to the U.S., as foreign airlines started telling passengers Saturday that the immigration ban had been lifted. Many rushed to catch flights, worried that the window to travel might soon be closed again by courts.

At the airport in Boston, crowds had gathered at international arrivals to welcome those from the restricted countries. They held signs saying, “Refugees are welcome in the U.S.A,” “Christians build bridges, not walls” and “I am home and so are you.”

“We had more than 40 mostly Iranian nationals land and clear customs today. We’ve had Tunisians and Syrians too, all flying from Germany on Lufthansa,” said Kerry Doyle, an attorney with the American Immigration Lawyers Assn. who was posted at the airport.

Many visa holders had changed their plans to fly to Massachusetts even if it wasn’t their final destination because of an earlier Boston federal judge’s temporary order against Trump’s ban that was being applied locally when the national order came down from Seattle.

“It’s a whole different feeling at the airport than last week,” Doyle said.

Trump’s executive order, which also includes a temporary ban on most refugee admissions and indefinitely for Syrians, was one of several the president has signed since taking office as part of a White House strategy designed to begin implementing his governing vision with maximum impact.

But the torrid pace of action sparked an equally fierce public response that continued Saturday, including protests in Los Angeles and other cities. One march neared the gates of the Palm Beach, Fla., estate being branded as the “Winter White House” where Trump was spending the third weekend of his presidency.

Trump and his advisors had largely downplayed the confusion his order sparked and insisted it was on solid legal ground, even though on Monday he dismissed the acting attorney general who had told Justice Department attorneys to cease defending it in court.

Trump began Saturday with a series of tweets against Robart in which he blasted the “so-called judge” for a “ridiculous” opinion.

“What is our country coming to when a judge can halt a Homeland Security travel ban and anyone, even with bad intentions, can come into U.S.?” he asked later in another Twitter message.

Activists and state officials opposed to Trump’s order celebrated. “The law is a powerful thing. It has the ability to hold everyone accountable to it, and that includes the president of the United States,” Washington state Atty. Gen. Bob Ferguson said at a news conference after the court decision.

Democrats seized on Trump’s criticism of the judge as an opening in the emerging Senate confirmation battle over the president’s Supreme Court nominee.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York said Trump’s attack “shows a disdain for an independent judiciary that doesn't always bend to his wishes.”

With every outburst, Schumer said, Trump just "raises the bar even higher" for federal Judge Neil Gorsuch's nomination.

Democrats were quick to remind that this was not the first time Trump has singled out a judge, comparing it to his attacks during the campaign on American-born Judge Gonzalo Curiel of San Diego, who Trump said could not be impartial because of his Mexican heritage.

“They understood there was going to be some friction, but those things could be worked through,” he said. “And as a matter of fact, you’ve seen them working through this pretty quickly.”

After civil rights groups filed lawsuits on behalf of those who had green cards designating them as permanent legal residents, the Trump administration clarified that green-card holders would be exempt from the travel ban. Government officials also reversed a prior position this week and said that dual citizens who held citizenship from one nation that was not on the restricted list would be exempt, even if they also were citizens of a country on the list.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.

A heartbreaking story: Tears of joy as Syrian family is reunited despite Trump travel ban

Trump is targeting up to 8 million people for deportation ; People could be booked into custody for using food stamps or if their child receives free school lunches.

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