There's been condemnation around the world of President Donald Trump's executive order closing US borders to Muslims from seven countries.
Protesters gathered outside of the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse as a judge heard a challenge against President Donald Trump's executive ban on immigration from several Muslim countries. Photo: AFP
UK Prime Minister Theresa May has told her foreign secretary Boris Johnson and home secretary Amber Rudd to contact their US counterparts about the travel ban imposed by President Trump.
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel says it is "not justified to put people from a specific background or faith under general suspicion" to combat terrorism.
And Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his country will continue to welcome those fleeing persecution, terror and war regardless of their faith.
It comes after scores of US airports were plunged into chaos over the weekend when President Trump slammed the doors on hundreds of travellers, refugees and immigrants.
Hundreds of people have been trapped in transit at airports in the US.
Right wing politicians, the Netherlands' Geert Weelders and UKIP's Nigel Farage have welcomed the ban.
President Trump remains upbeat about his policy.
"It's working out very nicely and we're going to have a very, very strict ban and we're going to have extreme vetting, which we should have had int his country for many years."
Protesters at Los Angeles international airport. Photo: AFP
The travel ban has been challenged in the courts and at the airports themselves where thousands of people protested and in some cases clashed violently with police.
More than 100 people were denied entry to the US in the first 24 hours of the executive order taking effect.
Detentions continued even after a New York Federal Judge upheld a challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union.
Those caught up in the ban included green card holders who'd lived in the US for years.
Governor of Washington State, Jay Inslee, is among those criticising the ban.
"This is probably the most incompetent, ineffective, unconsciously provocative and dangerous action of any government I've ever seen.
"To drop this on Sea-Tac Airport with no notice on how to handle this, I've gotta tell you these people couldn't run a two-car funeral."
Even a small number of Mr Trump's republican colleagues also came out against the ban and the way it was being implemented including Pennsylvania congressman Charlie Dent.
"It just seems to me that this order is just overly broad. It wasn't well thought out."
