Washington, March 31 (IANS): The Justice Department has filed an appeal to revive President Donald Trump's new travel ban directive that bars citizens and refugees from six-Muslim majority countries from entering the US, the media reported.

The Department filed a formal notice on Thursday appealing US District Court Judge Derrick Watson's preliminary injunction suspending the March 3 executive order that sought to halt the issuance of visas to citizens from the six countries and held up refugee admissions from across the globe, Politico news reported.

Watson issued the injunction on Wednesday after a court hearing on a suit brought by the State of Hawaii and a local Muslim leader. 

Earlier in the month, the judge had issued a temporary restraining order that prevented Trump from instituting much of his directive, which had been intended to come into effect on March 16.

The appeal will go to the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Last month, a three-judge panel of that court declined to overturn a Seattle-based judge's order blocking key parts of Trump's original February 27 travel ban order.