A US appeals court has rejected a bid to reinstate President Donald Trump’s ban on visitors from seven mainly Muslim countries.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals said it would not block a lower-court ruling that brought the president’s executive order to a halt.
Mr Trump made the order because he said national security was at risk.
But in its ruling, the court said there was insufficient evidence of a terror threat from these countries.
“Rather than present evidence to explain the need for the executive order, the government has taken the position that we must not review its decision at all,” said the ruling.
“We disagree, as explained above.”
Mr Trump responded to the ruling by tweeting, in block capital letters: “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!”
The executive order, at the end of his first week in office, sparked protests and confusion as people were stopped at US borders.
Lawyers representing the US government had argued that the ban was a “lawful exercise” of presidential authority.
But two US states said the ban was unconstitutional and discriminated against Muslims.
The case is now likely to end up at the highest court, the US Supreme Court.
-BBC
