A federal judge in Hawaii has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing its latest travel ban, just hours before it was set to take effect.

Key points: The latest ban covered citizens of seven nations

The latest ban covered citizens of seven nations Judge found the ban had the same problems as previous orders

Judge found the ban had the same problems as previous orders White House did not immediately respond to the ruling

US District Judge Derrick Watson granted Hawaii's request to temporarily block the policy that was to be implemented starting early on Wednesday.

In response the White House said it would "vigorously defend" the travel restrictions and it will appeal against the ruling "in an expeditious manner".

Which ban was this?

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This ruling affected the new restrictions announced by the Trump administration in September

It targeted citizens of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen and some Venezuelan Government officials and their families.

While previous bans had time limits, this ban was open-ended.

President Donald Trump issued these restrictions because the previous ban, which was partly revived by the Supreme Court, expired in late September.

What was the problem with this version?

The judge found Mr Trump's new ban "suffers from precisely the same maladies as its predecessor."

Hawaii had argued the order was essentially a continuation of his campaign promise to ban Muslims from entering the US.

The judge said the new restrictions also ignore a federal appeals court ruling that found Mr Trump's previous ban exceeds the scope of his authority.

He said the White House's claims the ban was about national security was undermined by the fact that nobody knew how Mr Trump settled on the countries affected by the ban.

The latest version "plainly discriminates based on nationality in the manner that the 9th Circuit has found antithetical to ... the founding principles of this nation," Mr Watson wrote.

"It lacks sufficient findings that the entry of more than 150 million nationals from six specified countries would be 'detrimental to the interests of the United States'"

FWIW, Mr Watson was the same judge who blocked Mr Trump's last travel ban back in March.

What happens now?

The judge's order prevents acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson from implementing the latest travel ban.

This morning the US State Department told consular officials to resume "regular processing of visas" for people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

Hawaii did not challenge the parts of the ban relating to North Korea and Venezuela, so the restrictions still apply there.

But it's not the end of the legal battle.

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The US Justice Department said it would appeal against the ruling.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the decision "undercuts the president's efforts to keep the American people safe and enforce minimum security standards for entry into the United States".

Immigrant advocacy groups cheered the Hawaii ruling.

"We're glad, but not surprised, that President Trump's illegal and unconstitutional Muslim ban has been blocked once again," said Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants Rights Project, in a statement.

The ACLU and other groups have filed separate challenges to Trump's policy in a Maryland federal court.

A ruling is still pending, though it could overlap with the Hawaii decision which already applies nationwide.

AP/Reuters/ABC