WASHINGTON: A US appeals court today upheld a decision blocking Donald Trump's revised executive order imposing a travel ban on citizens from six Muslim-majority nations, in yet another blow for the president who has claimed the step is necessary to prevent possible terrorist attacks.
The three-judge bench of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously ruled against the revised ban.
The court in its ruling said that the executive order signed by Trump "exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress" to oversee immigration.
"Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show," it said.
The development posed another big challenge to Trump, who is trying to fulfil his campaign promise of preventing people from entering who could potentially do harm to the US.
Since becoming the US president on January 20, Trump has struggled to deliver the campaign promise. His administration believes at this time it is difficult to verify people coming from the six countries. Trump's critics, who have approached various courts, believe that such an executive order is targeted against a particular religion.
The Trump administration has opposed such an allegation.
Following the recent terrorist attacks in London, Trump had urged strong vetting process for people entering the US.
The US - under President Trump - has already taken several other steps like asking for the social media profile and account along with past cell phone numbers, if necessary, for those applying for visas to the United States.
The White House has vowed to challenge these court orders. It believes the US president has the constitutional authority to decide who all can enter the country.