HONOLULU, Calif. -- A federal judge in Hawaii is extending his order that blocks President Donald Trump's travel ban until the state's lawsuit works its way through the courts.
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U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson issued the written ruling Wednesday after hearing arguments.
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Seeking the longer-lasting hold, state Attorney General Douglas Chin argued that the ban's implied message is like a "neon sign flashing 'Muslim ban, Muslim ban'" that the government didn't bother to turn off.
The Department of Justice had said that if Watson grants the request, he should narrow the ruling to cover only the part of Trump's executive order that suspends new visas for people from six Muslim-majority countries.
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Government attorney Chad Readler said a freeze on the U.S. refugee program had no effect on Hawaii.
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President Donald Trump speaks in Washington D.C. after the GOP health bill was pulled before a planned vote on Friday March 24, 2017. (KGO-TV)