People gather for a protest at Terminal 4 of the John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport after people arriving from Muslim countries were held at the border control as a result of the new immigration policies enacted by US President Donald Trump in New York, New York, USA, 28 January 2017. According to reports, thousands of people took part in the demonstration as 11 people from countries on the suspension list were reportedly held at the airport. Photo: EPA/JUSTIN LANE

President Donald Trump’s order to restrict people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States sparked outrage but hit a roadblock late on Saturday when a federal judge said stranded travelers could stay in the country.

Judge Ann M. Donnelly of Federal District Court in Brooklyn ruled just before 9 p.m. that implementing Mr. Trump’s order by sending the travelers home could cause them “irreparable harm.” She said the government was “enjoined and restrained from, in any manner and by any means, removing individuals” who had arrived in the United States with valid visas or refugee status.

The emergency court ruling was cheered at Boston’s Logan International Airport, one of several major U.S. airports where protesters angry with Trump’s order gathered.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which sought the temporary stay, said it would help 100 to 200 people with valid visas or refugee status who found themselves detained in transit or at U.S. airports after Trump signed the order late on Friday.

It was a dramatic end to Trump’s first week in office, capped by the Republican president’s four-month ban on refugees entering the United States and a 90-day hold on travelers from Syria and six other countries.

Trump had promised during his campaign what he called “extreme vetting” of immigrants and refugees to try to prevent terror attacks.

He told reporters in the White House’s Oval Office earlier on Saturday that his order was “not a Muslim ban” and said the measures were long overdue.

“It’s working out very nicely. You see it at the airports, you see it all over,” Trump said. The White House could not be immediately reached for comment on the emergency court ruling.

Senior officials at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told reporters they had not seen the ruling, but said the government would implement any appropriate orders.

Senator Gianaris to Introduce Legislation Prohibiting Port Authority from Expending Any Resources In Furtherance of Trump Travel Ban

(Queens, NY) –  Following President Donald’s Trump executive order to halt the admittance of all refugees and suspend immigration from seven countries to the United States, including green card holders, Senator Michael Gianaris announced legislation to prohibit the Port Authority, which administers New York’s airports, from utilizing any of its resources in support of the Executive Order’s enforcement.

“President Trump’s executive order is as un-American as it gets and it falls upon each of us to take any measures at our disposal to resist by any legal means,” said Senator Michael Gianaris, whose own parents came to the U.S. from Greece. “The State of New York should not spend one penny in support of this unconstitutional federal effort and I will fight to make sure we don’t.”

The legislation would prohibit the Port Authority from supporting the federal effort in any way, including through supporting personnel, the use of airport facilities under its control or the provision of electricity and climate control in areas of the airport being used for the detentions.​​​​

Statement from NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo

“I never thought I’d see the day when refugees, who have fled war-torn countries in search of a better life, would be turned away at our doorstep. We are a nation of bridges, not walls, and a great many of us still believe in the words ‘give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…’

“This is not who we are, and not who we should be.

“I have directed the Port Authority, the Department of State, and my Counsel’s Office to jointly explore all legal options to assist anyone detained at New York airports, and ensure that their rights are protected.

“America is a nation of laws and those laws provide rights that must be respected and followed regardless of political ideology.”

STATEMENT FROM N.Y.A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman issued the following statement:

“I applaud the stay ordered by Judge Donnelly of the Eastern District of New York regarding President Trump’s dangerous and discriminatory executive action.

“Let me be clear: President Trump’s executive action is unconstitutional and in clear violation of federal law, including both the Establishment Clause and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. I will do everything within my power to help lead the fight to permanently strike it down.

“I will not allow voiceless refugees, and all those targeted by this reckless action, to be victimized by an unlawful, unconstitutional, and fundamentally un-American decree from the President.”

Rep. Elliot Engel Statement on Refugee Executive Order

epresentative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“This is a profoundly dark day for our country.

“In 1939, when Jewish refugees aboard the ship St. Louis could look ashore and see the lights of Miami, they thought the United States would be their salvation. But the power of fear and cowardice prevailed, sending those poor souls back across the ocean, many to their deaths. That moment is a stain on our country’s history, and one that ran contrary to America’s best values and traditions.

“Today, fear and cowardice are winning again. President Trump is slamming the door on the world’s most desperate refugees, whose eyes are gazing upon our shores today, seeking the promise of America that has illuminated the world for more than two centuries.  He’s building a wall and banning a religion, actions that won’t keep us any safer, but will send a message that if you aren’t a certain color, or don’t speak a certain language or worship a certain way, you don’t have a place in America. He’s turning America’s back on children who made a dangerous journey to escape violence and poverty, telling the huddled masses to find refuge elsewhere.

“In our best moments, America has been synonymous with freedom, hope, justice, and opportunity. That’s not the America the world sees today.