US appeals court maintains suspension of Trump travel ban

A federal appeals court today refused to restore President Donald Trump's controversial executive order closing US borders to refugees and nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries, keeping a temporary suspension in place.

"We hold that the government has not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal, nor has it shown that failure to enter a stay would cause irreparable injury," the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled.

The court denied the government's request to reinstate the measure on an emergency basis, meaning a lower court suspension of the travel ban stands for now.

A panel of three judges held a contentious hearing in the matter on Tuesday, with the lawyer representing the Trump administration insisting the controversial ban was justified for national security reasons.