A federal judge in Seattle has ordered Donald Trump’s immigration ban, which bars immigration from seven Muslim majority nations, to be halted immediately.

The new US President signed an Executive Order prohibiting immigration and acceptance of refugees from these countries, but the ban has been called a ‘Muslim ban’ and challenged in court for imposing an illegal religious test on the process.

US District Judge James Robert in Seattle, appointed by George W. Bush in 2003, ruled in a case brought by the Attorneys General of Minnesota and Washington that the ban should be brought down.

The White House responded immediately, promising to fight the stay as they argue the rule is legal. But in the interim, major airlines have been told by federal officials to allow people who under the ban would have been stopped to board airlines and travel to the US.

Trump’s immigration ban has been largely opposed, with protests erupting all over the country and numerous challenges in court. Trump continues to defend the ban, claiming it is necessary to stop terrorists from entering the USA.