Donald Trump sued by civil rights groups for ban on seven Muslim countries, Iran retaliates

Following an Executive order signed by US president Donald Trump to ban refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim countries from entering the US, civil rights groups in the US has filed a legal challenge against the order.

Trump on Friday signed the executive order to halt refugee arrivals and impose tough controls on travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The suit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups after two Iraqi men were detained on Friday night at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.

Iran was the first country to respond by banning all US citizens from entering the country and labelled the US ban “insulting.

"While respecting the American people and distinguishing between them and the hostile policies of the US government, Iran will implement the principle of reciprocity until the offensive US limitations against Iranian nationals are lifted," an Iran Foreign Ministry statement said on Saturday.

"The restrictions against travel by Muslims to America... are an open affront against the Muslim world and the Iranian nation in particular and will be known as a great gift to extremists," the statement added.

Meanwhile Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg has hit out at Trump’s executive order in a lengthy Facebook post saying that “the United States is a nation of immigrants, and we should be proud of that.”