(BIVN) – The State of Hawaii vs. Donald Trump lawsuit was before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday.

A three-judge panel in Seattle heard arguments on the merits of the third version of the President’s Executive Order banning travel from several Muslim-majority nations. Judges Ronald Gould, Michael Hawkins, and Richard Paez heard from lawyers representing both sides of the nationwide debate.

On December 4, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the travel ban to take effect while courts decide upon its merits.

“Travel Ban 3.0, unlike the earlier temporary versions, permanently blocks more than 150 million people from entry into the U.S. due to their nation of origin,” said Attorney General Doug Chin. “The religious prejudice that infected this executive order on day 1 was reinforced by the White House as recently as last week. We appreciated the chance today to answer questions from the court regarding how the latest version still violates the Constitution and immigration laws passed by Congress.”

If the Ninth Circuit rules on the merits in Hawaii’s favor, the Ag office says the Trump Administration may appeal to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court grants review, the travel ban will remain in effect until a final ruling on the merits. If the Supreme Court denies review, the travel ban will be enjoined.