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Saturday, November 14, 2026Nov 14

Judge: Hawaii can proceed with filing of travel ban lawsuit

FILE - In this March 1, 2017, President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. President Trump’s revised travel ban will temporarily halt entry to the U.S. for people from six Muslim-majority nations who are seeking new visas, allowing those with current visas to travel freely, according to a fact sheet obtained by The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
FILE - In this March 1, 2017, President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. President Trump’s revised travel ban will temporarily halt entry to the U.S. for people from six Muslim-majority nations who are seeking new visas, allowing those with current visas to travel freely, according to a fact sheet obtained by The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

HONOLULU (AP) – A federal judge in Honolulu said Wednesday that Hawaii can proceed with the filing of what would be the first lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban.

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson granted the state’s request to continue with the case and set a hearing for March 15 – the day before Trump’s revised ban is due to go into effect.

Hawaii officials previously sued to stop Trump’s initial travel ban but that suit was placed on hold by Watson amid legal challenges around the country.

On Tuesday night, a day after Trump’s administration announced its new ban, attorneys for the state filed their proposed revision in federal court along with a motion asking that it be allowed to proceed.

Watson approved that motion and said the state will file the final lawsuit later Wednesday. The Hawaii attorney general’s office did not provide further details on when the lawsuit would be filed.