FILE- In this June 30, 2017, file photo, critics of President Donald Trump's travel ban hold signs during a news conference in Honolulu. On Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017 a federal judge in Hawaii blocked the Trump administration from enforcing its latest travel ban, just hours before it was set to take effect. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson granted Hawaii's request to temporarily block the policy from taking effect Wednesday. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)

HONOLULU - The Latest on a judge in Hawaii blocking the latest version of President Donald Trump's travel ban (all times local):

10:40 a.m.

The White House is blasting a federal judge's decision to block the Trump administration from enforcing the latest version its travel ban, calling the order "dangerously flawed."

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

In a separate statement, Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior says it will appeal the ruling "in an expeditious manner."

The restrictions had been set to go into effect early Wednesday. They were to apply to citizens of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria and Yemen — and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.

Sanders says the restrictions are "vital" to ensuring foreign nations comply with U.S. security standards.

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9:50 a.m.

Hawaii's attorney general says the state is ready to defend against what he calls a discriminatory travel ban by the Trump administration.

Douglas Chin is responding to a U.S. judge's ruling Tuesday that blocks the federal government from enforcing the policy.

Chin has been challenging President Donald Trump's travel bans since February. The state says the updated ban is a continuation of Trump's "promise to exclude Muslims from the United States."

He says it's the third time Hawaii has gone to court to stop Trump from enforcing a ban that discriminates against people based on their nation of origin or religion.

The Trump administration's most recent restrictions affect citizens of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria and Yemen — and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.

It was supposed to take effect early Wednesday.

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9 a.m.

A judge in Hawaii has blocked the latest version of the Trump administration travel ban just hours before it was set to take effect.

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson on Tuesday granted Hawaii's request to temporarily block the federal government from enforcing the policy. It was supposed to take effect at midnight EDT Wednesday.

The Trump administration's most recent restrictions, which affect citizens of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen — and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.

Hawaii argues the updated ban is a continuation of President Donald Trump's "promise to exclude Muslims from the United States."

Other courts are weighing challenges to the policy. In Maryland, the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups are seeking to block the visa and entry restrictions in the president's latest proclamation.

News from © The Associated Press, 2017