U.S. President Donald Trump signed a revised executive order for a U.S. travel ban on Monday (March 6), leaving Iraq off the list of targeted countries, after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts, senior administration officials said.
The new order, which the White House said Trump had signed, will keep a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of six Muslim-majority nations—Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, the officials said.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders had said earlier on Monday that the new order would take effect on March 16. The new directive delays implementation to limit the disruption that created havoc for some travelers when Trump issued his original order.
Trump had said the restrictive order is necessary to ensure domestic security.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly unveiled details of the revised executive order at a media briefing.
“As threats to our security continue to evolve and change, common sense dictates that we continually re-evaluate and reassess the systems we rely upon to protect our country,” Tillerson said.
Iraqi citizens, who were subject to the original executive order, were removed from scrutiny in the revised order. The U.S. and Iraqi governments formulated new vetting procedures since the original January 27 order, which satisfied concerns within the Trump administration.
Thousands of Iraqis have fought alongside U.S. troops for years or worked as translators since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Many have resettled in the United States after being threatened for working with U.S. troops.
“This executive order protects the American people—as well as lawful permanent residents—by putting in place an enhanced screening and vetting process for visitors from six countries,” U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.
The White House official said the new executive order also ensures that tens of thousands of legal permanent residents in the United States —or green card holders—from the listed countries would not be affected by the travel ban.
More than two dozen lawsuits were filed in U.S. courts against the original travel ban and the state of Washington succeeded in having it suspended by the 9th Circuit court of Appeals by arguing that it violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination.
Trump publicly criticized judges who ruled against him and vowed to fight the case in the Supreme Court, but then decided to draw up a new order with changes aimed at making it easier to defend in the courts.
Refugees who are “in transit” and already have been approved would be able to travel to the United States.
“We are going to work closely to implement it and enforce it humanely, respectfully and with professionalism, but we will enforce the law,” Kelly said
Trump’s original order barred travelers from the seven nations from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days. Refugees from Syria were to be banned indefinitely but under the new order they are not given separate treatment.
(REUTERS)
