Second US federal judge blocks Trump's travel ban

WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (KUNA) -- A second federal judge on Wednesday blocked parts of US President Donald Trump's latest attempt to enforce a controversial travel ban against foreign nationals from certain countries.
Judge Theodore Chuang issued a preliminary injunction against the president's plan to ban travelers from Syria, Libya, Iran, Yemen, Chad, Somalia, North Korea and Venezuela. This comes a day after Hawaii's federal Judge Derrick Watson issued a restraining order against the latest version of the travel ban, saying it "plainly discriminates based on nationality." Chuang said the president's own words cast his latest attempt to impose a travel blockade as the "inextricable re-animation of the twice-enjoined Muslim ban." Hundreds of Muslim-American demonstrators gathered outside Trump Hotel and the White House on Wednesday afternoon to protest the administration's immigration policy.
The White House has defended its ban, saying it was issued based on a "worldwide security review by the Secretary of Homeland Security and following consultation by the President with members of the Cabinet, including the Secretaries of Homeland Security, State, and Defense and the Attorney General". (end) hy.hb