What does the ruling mean?

For now, it means refugees and people from seven majorityMuslim nations identified in the president’s surprise January 27 executive order can continue entering the country.

But the executive order isn’t dead, either — it just isn’t being enforced while the courts debate its legality. The federal government has 14 days to ask the 9th Circuit to reconsider Thursday’s decision. It could also file an emergency appeal with the US Supreme Court, which would go to Justice Anthony Kennedy for referral to the rest of the court.

Rory Little, a former Supreme Court clerk who teaches at the University of California Hastings College of the Law, doesn’t think that’s such a good idea. In addition to seeking to overturn a reasoned decision, he said, Trump would be facing Chief Justice John Roberts, who just wrote an annual report in which he raved about his District Court judges. The president repeatedly insulted the Seattle judge who ruled against him, in addition to the appeals judges who followed suit.

“I think Kennedy and Roberts are seething about the president insulting their judges,” Little said. “If they go to the US Supreme Court, they risk getting a serious adverse ruling.”