"The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland," press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement. | Getty White House pledges to defend travel ban after judge's ruling

The White House on Friday night said it would challenge "at the earliest possible time" a federal judge's ruling that blocked President Donald Trump's travel ban directive nationwide.

"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," press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement released Friday. "The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people."


The White House updated its statement from one sent minutes prior, which appeared to call the judge's ruling "outrageous." The latter statement omitted the word entirely.

It remained unclear when the challenge would go forward.

Earlier Friday U.S. District Court Judge James Robart of Seattle ruled in favor of a lawsuit seeking to overturn the order limiting travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries.

In the statement, Spicer added, "As the law states, 'Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.'"