White House vows to challenge orders against travel ban

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- President Trump signed an executive order last week. Friday a federal judge in Washington issued a temporary restraining order blocking it. After that, the state's attorney general filed the request, calling the ban harmful to states' residents and economies.

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"The law is a powerful thing," said Bob Furgeson. "It has the ability to hold everybody accountable to it and that includes the president of the United States."

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer issued a statement, saying: At the earliest possible time, the department of justice intends to file an emergency stay of this order and defend the executive order of the president--which we believe is lawful and appropriate.

A legal clinic has been set up in the international terminal at San Francisco International Airport since this weekend and the federal judge's decision in Washington state was big news for them and dozens of their clients around the world who have been trying to get to the U.S.

"For the volunteer lawyers who have now been here for the last week, this is a night for celebration," said Julia Wilson, the executive director for OneJustice.

She's been helping coordinate volunteers at the airport since last weekend when massive crowds turned out to protest President Trump's executive order. Friday's federal restraining order has had immediate implications.

Wilson showed us the emails she's been exchanging with a Syrian refugee in Turkey who can now fly to the U.S.

He sent Wilson a message as he was about to board. "I feel strong with your support and it's such a dream that I will finally see my wife and my son."

The White House quickly vowed to challenge the judge's restraining order, but legal analysts say it's not clear how long it may take to work itself out in court. "I'm not sure whether they would hold a hearing," said Rory Little, a UC Hastings law professor. "They would probably ask for briefs to be filed very quickly so I would think this order would stay in place at least through the weekend."

The federal restraining order is just one of a flurry of legal actions filed. A Stanford freshman is part of a class action lawsuit filed by the ACLU to overturn the order.

She's been unsure about her future here.

"If this is going to further affect my studies here at Stanford because I'm from Yemen," said Hadil Al-Mowafak, a Stanford student.

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Yemen is one of the seven primarily Muslim countries listed in Trump's travel ban.