After Numerous Attempts.. Correspondents from Afaq News, MS NOW, and Politico Enter the White House by Court Order

Washington, United States - The Afaaq News network has been allowed to return to the White House after a federal judge ordered President Donald Trump's administration to temporarily reactivate the press credentials for the network, as well as for MS NOW and Politico. After several attempts to enter the building on Thursday morning, Afaaq News reporter Betsy Klein and a photojournalist were allowed to enter the White House on Thursday afternoon (Washington time).

A reporter from MS NOW was also granted entry, according to the network. This came after the news organizations filed an urgent request for a hearing on Thursday morning, following the ban on reporters from entering.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, federal judge Timothy Kelly ordered the Trump administration to temporarily restore access to the White House for Afaaq News, MS NOW, and Politico, after President Donald Trump had barred them from entering. In his ruling, Kelly found that the revocation of the press credentials for the reporters was done without following 'proper and constitutionally adequate legal procedures.'

This ruling - issued just hours before Trump was set to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House - meant that journalists should have returned to work in the White House complex, although some staff from the three organizations were initially barred from entry. Both Betsy Klein and the photojournalist were denied access to the White House grounds at 9 AM Washington time.

In contrast, one producer from Afaaq News was able to enter the White House using his credential after 6 AM, and it was not immediately clear why he was able to access the building. Reporters from MS NOW and Politico were also denied entry to the building early Thursday morning, according to those organizations.

Judge Kelly ordered the Justice Department to respond by 12:30 PM Washington time. Kelly had stated late Wednesday-Thursday that the government's arguments "do not provide much support for its claims regarding national security interests."

After the ban took effect, Trump and his lawyers said that the right of entry had been revoked for those institutions because their previous coverage raised national security concerns. Kelly wrote: "First of all, there is nothing in the previous records of this case indicating that the revocation of the plaintiffs' permanent credentials was driven by national security concerns."

He added: "Certainly, this was not what President Trump said when he announced that he was 'banning' the plaintiffs from entering the White House, but instead focused on what he claimed was a lack of honesty and credibility from the plaintiffs and the negativity of their coverage." Regarding "due process," the judge noted that the Trump administration did not inform journalists of the opportunity to challenge the decision until after the credentials were revoked.

Judge Kelly wrote in his ruling, citing legal precedents: "The general rule is that individuals must receive notice and have an opportunity to be heard before the government deprives them of a constitutionally protected interest." It is worth noting that the temporary order issued by Kelly remains in effect for 14 days.

The judge also indicated that his decision is not subject to immediate appeal, as he laid out in the ruling a plan of action for the next two weeks that allows news organizations and the Trump administration to continue presenting arguments and evidence to him. This plan - for which the judge has not yet set deadlines or specific hearing dates - is likely to result in a more detailed and solid ruling compared to the emergency decision Kelly issued early Thursday morning.

Trump announced the ban on the three news organizations in a social media post last Friday, stating that he is expelling these organizations "due to their continued coverage of fake news!" He added that "other media organizations that publish fake news will face the same fate." The three news organizations filed a lawsuit requesting a suspension or complete cancellation of the ban.

During the legal briefs presentation and a hearing held on Wednesday, the lawyers for the news organizations argued that the ban contradicts previous court rulings, violates due process, and was issued merely out of Trump's disdain for these journalists. In contrast, the administration's lawyers argued that Trump's decision included a mechanism for appeal, citing the messages received by the organizations after the ban took effect.

Commenting on Thursday's ruling, Ted Boutros, the lawyer for the news organizations, told Afaq News Network: "This is a strong ruling that upholds press freedom, due process, and the rule of law. Afaq News has reached out to the Department of Justice and the White House for comment.