WASHINGTON: Signing a new executive order after his first attempt was blocked by courts, US President Donald Trump has removed Iraq from a list of countries. The new order would keep a 90-day ban on travel to the US by citizens of six Muslim-majority nations- Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
A White House official said Iraq was taken off the list in the original order because the Iraqi government had imposed new vetting procedures, such as heightened visa screening and data sharing, and because of its work with the US in countering Islamic State militants. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House spokeswoman said the new order will take effect on March 16. It is said that the new order also ensures that tens of thousands of legal permanent residents in the US, or green card holders from the listed countries would not be affected by the travel ban. Refugees who are "in transit" and already have been approved would be able to travel to the US.
Over two dozen lawsuits were filed in US courts against the original travel ban. The state of Washington successfully had it suspended by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, after arguing that it violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination. Trump had not taken the move well, and had tweeted the court to "see you in court". The original travel ban barred travellers from the seven nations from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days. Syrian refugees were indefinitely banned. The White House official said, "This executive order has scrapped that division and the indefinite suspension and has collapsed them into a single category of a 120-day suspension."
The official said the new order was based on national security concerns and had nothing to do with religion. "It is substantially different from the first order yet it will do the same thing in this important way. It will protect the country and keep us safe." The FBI is currently investigating 300 people admitted into the United States as refugees as part of 1,000 counter-terrorism probes involving Islamic State or individuals inspired by the militant group.
The new order launches a 90-day period for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to define a new series of requirements for countries to have full participation in US entry programs. For countries that do not comply, the US State Department, the DHS and intelligence agencies can make recommendations on what, if any, restrictions should be imposed. It also spells out detailed categories of people eligible to enter the United States, such as for business or medical travel, or people with family connections or who support the United States. "There are a lot of explicit carve-outs for waivers and given on a case-by-case basis."
