A federal appeals court on Monday is considering lifting a stay blocking President Donald Trump’s travel ban, NBC News reported.

The 15-member 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, will consider the appeal and bypass the normal first step of a hearing before a three-judge panel.

A federal judge in Maryland blocked Trump’s executive order on March 16. Opponents of the ban had said Trump made it clear, through statements during the campaign, that the executive order is based on religion.

The Trump administration argued the president’s past statements are irrelevant and that all that matters is what the president has said and done since taking office.

Published at 12:53 AM CDT on May 8, 2017 | Updated 4 hours ago