State Department reverses visa cancellations for foreigners after furious Trump slams 'so-called' judge's decision to halt his immigration order, warning it could lead to 'death and destruction' 

• e-mail

The US state department has reversed the cancellations of visas for foreigners after Donald Trump slammed a 'so-called' judge's decision to halt his immigration order.

Federal judge James Robart issued a ruling on Friday that temporarily halted Trump's order banning travelers and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries.

A furious Trump fired off a series of tweets on Saturday morning as major airlines started allowing passengers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen to fly to U.S. cities if they had valid visa documents.

'When a country is no longer able to say who can, and who cannot , come in & out, especially for reasons of safety &.security - big trouble!' Trump tweeted.

'Interesting that certain Middle-Eastern countries agree with the ban. They know if certain people are allowed in it's death & destruction!'

'The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!' 

The U.S. State Department announced it would be reversing visa cancellations for foreigners to comply with the judge's ruling. The Department of Homeland Security also said it was suspending any action from the executive order. 

Major airlines, including Qatar Airways, Air France, Etihad Airlines, Emirates, Spain's Iberia and German airline Lufthansa said they would allow previously banner passengers to fly to U.S. cities following the judge's ruling.

Scroll down for video 

Donald Trump fired off a series of angry tweets on Saturday after a judge issued a ruling that temporarily his Trump's order banning immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries 

While judges have ruled against previous presidents in the past, including Barack Obama and George W. Bush, they were not known to have personally criticized judges for their decisions.   

The White House slammed the judge's ruling as 'outrageous' and vowed to appeal as soon as possible on Friday night. The temporary restraining order represents a major challenge to Trump's ban on immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries. 

Judge Robart made his ruling effective immediately on Friday, and Customs and Border Protection immediately alerted major US airlines that it will begin to reinstate visas.

The state's attorney general, Bob Ferguson, said: 'This decision shuts down the executive order right now. No one is above the law - not even the President'. 

With the Department of Justice seeking to file an emergency stay to reverse the decision as soon as Saturday, it opens a narrow window for previously barred travelers to enter the country.

However, it was unclear how the change in status was being received on the ground. No U.S. airports reported they were releasing travelers still held in limbo on Friday night and there were no reports of any passengers exploiting the gap. 

Going into the weekend, further chaos is undoubtedly expected as the two branches of government begin a tug of war battle over the law - with customs offices attempting to interpret directions at the center.

Executive orders are subject to legal review by a federal court when brought before a US judge. The government's bid to have the temporary restraining order reversed will now play out in court.  

U.S. District judge James Robart issued a ruling Friday that temporarily halted Trump's order banning travelers and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries 

Protesters were gathering in Washington DC and outside the White House on Saturday

Demonstrators march in London against U.S President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning refugees and immigrants from a number of Muslim-majority countries

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement late Friday night that the Department of Justice intends to halt the 'outrageous order' at the earliest possible time but not as soon as Friday night

HOW ONE FEDERAL JUDGE'S RULING CAN HALT AN EXECUTIVE ORDER

How can a federal district judge seemingly over rule the president? 

Federal judge James Robart issued a ruling on Friday that temporarily halted Trump's executive order

The temporary restraining order issued by Judge James Robart on Friday has the power to implement new procedures like dictating how the Customs and Border Protection agency should operate.

Executive orders are subject to legal review by a federal court when it is brought before a US judge. In this case, the challenge was brought by the state of Washington and Minnesota. 

The judge ruled that the states have legal standing to sue and issued a nationwide temporary restraining order on the executive order while the court considers the lawsuit filed by the two states. It means government agencies have to comply with the ruling.

Robart's move is not unprecedented. In the past nationwide injunctions blocking executive orders have been imposed by district courts and the federal government must obey, even when other district courts have ruled otherwise. 

The Washington state judge used a case from Obama's presidency as precedent for his ruling. A Texas federal district court blocked Obama's plan to shield some undocumented immigrants from deportation.

What happens next?

The Department of Justice said it will file an emergency stay appealing the decision, which is a request to stop it. 

US Customs and Border Protection have alerted airlines that refugees in possession of valid US visas will now be allowed into the country.

The government will have to fight the judge's decision in court in a bid to have it overturned. 

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson told CNN on Friday night he expects the case to move quickly through the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals because of the magnitude of the executive order.

Ferguson said he was prepared for case to go all the way to Supreme Court depending on which way the court of appeals ruled.

The first statement from Spicer used the word 'outrageous' to describe Judge Robart's ruling (pictured)

However, a quick 12 minutes later, the White House issued another release with the same wording but removed 'outrageous' from the statement (pictured)

It took Trump's administration three hours to grasp how to address the Seattle judge's order. 

Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement that the Department of Justice intends to halt the 'outrageous order' at the earliest possible time but not as soon as Friday night.

Immediately after releasing the first statement the White House issued another release with the same wording but removed 'outrageous', reported CNN. 

The State Department is working with the Department of Homeland Security to determine how it affects its operations, a State Department official said.

Until the Department of Justice wins its emergency stay, previously denied travelers could have a small window of opportunity to enter the country.

Robart, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, made his decision after Washington state and Minnesota urged a nationwide hold on the executive order that has launched legal battles across the country.

He repeatedly questioned the federal government's lawyer, Michelle Bennett, about the rationale behind the order.

Robart asked if there had been any terrorist attacks by people from the seven counties listed in Trump's order since 9/11. Bennett said she didn't know.

'The answer is none,' Robart said. 'You're here arguing we have to protect from these individuals from these countries, and there's no support for that.' 

The judge recently became emotional in a hearing over Seattle police reform and closed with a declaration of 'black lives matter', reported The Seattle Times. 

Protesters in London rallied against Trump's controversial ban on Saturday

Donald Trump's White House Press Secretary said the Department of Justice intends to halt the 'outrageous order' at the earliest possible time. But it is reported that won't be as soon as Friday night. Trump has not made a personal statement about the swift undoing of his order and is currently at his estate in Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where he is expected to host a Super Bowl party

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson talks to reporters following the hearing in federal court in Seattle. He said: 'No one is above the law - not even the President'

Pictured: The seven countries that were banned in Trump's executive order. A judge's ruling put a temporary hold on the ban on Friday, meaning these travelers can now enter the country again

Trump's order last week sparked protests nationwide and confusion at airports as some travelers were detained. The White House has argued that it will make the country safer. 

AMAZON CEO BACKS LAWSUIT AGAINST TRUMP'S TRAVEL BAN

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said his company supported Washington's lawsuit against President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration and refugees.

Pictured: Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos 

Bezos wrote in an internal email to Amazon employees Monday that company lawyers have prepared a 'declaration of support' for the suit.

He continued that employees affected by the order have 'the full extent of Amazon's resources behind' them.

Amazon has a market cap of $292billion.

He announced that the company would put support behind Washington's lawsuit against the ban, which saw success on Friday.

Amazon's headquarters are located in Seattle, Washington. 

Following Trump winning the presidency, Forbes reported that Amazon's stock plummeted for a week straight. 

The giant online retailer was one of several tech companies to stand against Trump. 

Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Netflix voiced disapproval of the action. 

Judge Robart's decision was an echo of many citizen's beliefs that America has and will always welcome immigrants, including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos who was one of the biggest advocates for lifting the ban. 

Bezos supported the lawsuit against the government that was filed in Washington, the same state as Amazon's headquarters.

Federal attorneys had argued that Congress gave the president authority to make decisions on national security and immigrant entry. 

Washington became the first state to sue, with Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson saying the order was causing significant harm to residents and effectively mandates discrimination. Minnesota joined the suit this week. 

Ferguson was elected to his position in November 2012 and took office in 2013. He won his re-election the following term.

He has plans to introduce legislation banning semi-automatic assault-style weapons later this year, the Seattle Times reports. 

After the ruling, Ferguson said people from the affected countries can now apply for entry to the U.S. 

Washington and Minnesota won a temporary restraining order while the court considers the lawsuit, which says key sections of Trump's order are illegal and unconstitutional.

In court, Washington Solicitor General Noah Purcell said the focus of the state's legal challenge was the way the president's order targeted Islam. 

Purcell said: 'We only challenged the parts that are actually affecting people immediately, which are the parts about refugees and the parts about targeting these seven countries.

People protest in a demonstration in Cleveland. The demonstration was organized in protest of President Donald Trump's immigration order

Trump's order last week sparked protests nationwide and confusion at airports as some travelers were detained. The White House has argued that it will make the country safer

Judge Robart (left), who was appointed by George W. Bush, had recently became emotional in a hearing over Seattle police reform and closed with a declaration of 'black lives matter'. Ferguson (right) was elected to his position in 2012 and has plans to introduce legislation banning semi-automatic assault-style weapons later this year

'The parts that have getting so much attention and have been causing such immediate harm to people, stranding them oversees and such, are enjoined right away.' 

He told the judge that Trump has called for a ban on Muslims entering the country, and the travel ban was an effort to make good on that campaign promise.

'Do you see a distinction between campaign statements and the executive order,' Robart asked. 'I think it's a bit of a reach to say the president is anti-Muslim based on what he said in New Hampshire in June.'

Purcell said there was an 'overwhelming amount of evidence' to show that the order was directed at the Muslim religion, which is unconstitutional.

When the Robart questioned the federal government's lawyer Bennett on the matter, she argued that the states can't sue on behalf of citizens and the states have failed to show the order is causing irreparable harm.

Robart disagreed.

Up to 60,000 foreigners from the seven majority-Muslim countries had their visas canceled because of the executive order, the State Department said Friday.

That figure contradicts a statement from a Justice Department lawyer on the same day during a court hearing in Virginia about the ban. The lawyer in that case said about 100,000 visas had been revoked.

The State Department clarified that the higher figure includes diplomatic and other visas that were actually exempted from the travel ban, as well as expired visas.

Federal attorneys had argued that Congress gave the president authority to make decisions on national security and admitting immigrants.

The lawsuit says Trump campaigned on a promise to ban Muslims from coming to the U.S. and kept up that rhetoric while defending the travel ban. 

Lawyers pointed to dozens of exhibits of speeches and statements Trump has made. 

'The executive order effectively mandates that the states engage in discrimination based on national origin and/or religion, thereby rescinding the states' historic protection of civil rights and religious freedom,' the complaint said, calling it a violation of the U.S. Constitution. 

Muslim men pray at a prayer and demonstration at JFK airport to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries on February 3, 2017 in New York City

Muslim men pray at a prayer and demonstration at JFK airport to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order

The lawsuit ultimately seeks to permanently block parts of the executive order that suspend immigration from the seven Muslim-majority countries, put the U.S. refugee admissions program on hold and halt entry of Syrian refugees.

Ferguson said the order is causing significant harm to Washington residents, businesses and its education system.

It will reduce tax revenue and impose significant costs on state agencies, as well as make it impossible for some state employees and students to travel, he said.

Washington-based businesses Amazon, Expedia and Microsoft support the state's efforts to stop the order. They say it's hurting their operations, too.