Story highlights "Maximum power does not mean absolute power," Brinkema wrote in her opinion

A federal judge in Seattle denied a request from the Trump administration Monday

(CNN) As the Trump administration grapples with the Ninth Circuit's refusal to reinstate the President's travel ban, a federal judge across the country dealt another significant blow to the executive order in Virginia late Monday, writing in her opinion: "Maximum power does not mean absolute power."

US District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia granted a modified version of the state's request for a preliminary injunction to stop enforcement of the travel ban, finding the state had the ability to sue, "is likely to prevail on the merits" of at least one of its constitutional arguments and the Justice Department would not suffer any harm from imposing the injunction.

The judge declined to issue her injunction on nationwide basis "to avoid any claim that" it is "defective because of overbreadth."

Brinkema's order specifically prevents the Justice Department from now enforcing section 3(c) of the President's executive order -- barring foreign nationals from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the US for 90 days -- against Virginia residents or those who work at, or attend, Virginia's public universities.

And unlike the temporary restraining order preventing deportation of such individuals (which expired last week), this new preliminary injunction will last through a trial on the constitutionality of the executive order in this case (unless later modified by the judge).

Read More