Loud Whispers

Iraq was previously listed among those nations, but a senior Department of Homeland Security official said the country was removed after the Iraqi government assured the Trump administration that they would share more information with the United States.

The state of Hawaii has said in a court motion that it will seek a temporary restraining order against the ban.

Speaking in a statement on Monday, Hawaii’s Attorney General Doug Chin said: “This new executive order is nothing more than Muslim Ban 2.0.

“Under the pretence of national security, it still targets immigrants and refugees. It leaves the door open for even further restrictions.”

Court documents show that both sides have asked for a hearing on 15 March, a day before the new ban is due to come into effect.

Hawaii had filed a lawsuit against Mr Trump’s initial ban but that was put on hold while a nationwide injunction remained in place.

In a statement, the Justice Department said: “We are confident that the president’s actions are lawful to protect the national security of our country.”

Neal Katyal, one of the lead attorneys for Hawaii, told CNN: “To be sure, the new executive order covers fewer people than the old one.”

But he added that the ban still “suffers from the same constitutional and statutory defects”.

Mr Katyal is a former acting solicitor general under President Obama and his firm is giving Hawaii a 50% discount for its representation.

According to the profile on his firm’s website, among Mr Katyal’s high-profile cases was a victory in Hamdan v Rumsfeld, which challenged the policy of military trials at Guantanamo Bay.

He also successfully defended former Attorney General John Ashcroft against claims that he had abused civil liberties during the war on terror.

SKYE