President Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 27th temporarily barring entry to refugees and immigrants. In U.S. airports, customs officials detained and denied entry to individuals affected by the executive order.
A ruling by a federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocked the enforcement of the travel ban. The Trump administration appealed the ruling but a federal appeals court panel has maintained the freeze on President Trump’s immigration order, meaning previously barred refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries can continue entering the United States.
How the ban would impact different groups:
Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen
The State Department says previously banned travelers will be allowed to enter the United States. Those individuals with visas that were not physically cancelled may now travel if the visa is otherwise valid.
Dual nationals,
those who hold passports from more than one country
Citizens of one of the banned countries can enter if they present a valid passport from a non banned country.
Refugees around the world
The refugee program is suspended until further notice. The order suspends refugee entries for 120 days. Syrian refugees are barred indefinitely. More than 800 refugees considered “in transit” will be allowed in.
Green card holders, those who have legal residency in the United
States
The order does not apply to their entry into the United States, according to CBP.
Special Immigrant Visas holders
Iraqi translators who worked with U.S. troops will be given waivers.
Everyone who needs
to renew their visa
It suspends the waiver of visa interviews program at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, requiring interviews for all visa applicants.
Dual nationals,
those who hold passports from more than one country
Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen
Citizens of one of the banned countries can enter if they present a valid passport from a non banned country.
The State Department says previously banned travelers will be allowed to enter the United States. Those individuals with visas that were not physically cancelled may now travel if the visa is otherwise valid.
Refugees around the world
Green card holders, those who have legal residency in the United States
The refugee program is suspended until further notice. The order suspends refugee entries for 120 days. Syrian refugees are barred indefinitely. More than 800 refugees considered “in transit” will be allowed in.
The order does not apply to their entry into the United States, according to CBP.
Special Immigrant Visas holders
Iraqi translators who worked with U.S. troops will be given waivers.
Some frequent travelers
The order suspends the Visa Interview Waiver Program, which allowed frequent visitors to the U.S. to skip an in-person interview at U.S. embassies and consulates. Now those interviews are required.
Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen
Dual nationals,
those who hold passports from more than one country
Refugees around the world
Green card holders, those who have legal residency in the United States
Some frequent travelers
The order suspends the Visa Interview Waiver Program, which allowed frequent visitors to the U.S. to skip an in-person interview at U.S. embassies and consulates. Now those interviews are required.
The refugee program is suspended until further notice. The order suspends refugee entries for 120 days. Syrian refugees are barred indefinitely. More than 800 refugees considered “in transit” will be allowed in.
The order does not apply to their entry into the United States, according to CBP.
The State Department says previously banned travelers will be allowed to enter the United States. Those individuals with visas that were not physically cancelled may now travel if the visa is otherwise valid.
Citizens of one of the banned countries can enter if they present a valid passport from a non banned country.
Special Immigrant Visas holders
Iraqi translators who worked with U.S. troops will be given waivers.
The order states the visa process “plays a crucial role” in stopping terrorists from entering the country. It mentions the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as a key moment when the process failed. However, the hijackers were largely from Saudi Arabia – a country that is not on the travel ban. In addition, the ban does not include countries where people behind some of the most recent attacks were born. And despite the State Department deeming some countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan as “terrorist safe havens” in 2015, those nations didn’t make the list.
Is this executive order a ‘Muslim ban’?
The order doesn’t explicitly mention Muslims, Christians or any other religion, but it does give priority to refugees who belong to a religious minority. Trump’s later comments mentioned Christians in Syria as an example. In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, Trump said it is “very tough” for Christians living in Syria to be accepted into the United States, a claim that remains questionable.
Trump has defended the executive order, saying that it is “not a Muslim ban” and played down concerns that the order has to do with religion. “This is about terror and keeping our country safe,” Trump said.
National security experts have criticized the president for alienating U.S. allies such as Iraq, where Iraqi interpreters who worked with U.S. troops previously have been given special visa preferences in the past.
The Pentagon launched an effort over the weekend to give them special consideration. On Tuesday, DHS clarified its stance and said special immigrant visa holders will be treated the same as green card holders. These individuals will now be allowed to board their flights to the U.S.
Those who frequently travel back and forth to the United States — such as business executives — will face another restriction: the suspension of the Visa Interview Waiver Program. The program allowed individuals to skip the in-person interview process at a U.S. consulate or embassy if they renew their visa often.
Now, repeat applicants who apply for a new visa must appear for an in-person interview.
How will the order impact the seven banned countries?
Country of concern
Sponsor of terrorism
TURKEY
SYRIA
LIBYA
AFGH.
IRAQ
IRAN
EGYPT
PAK.
SAUDI
ARABIA
CHAD
U.A.E.
OMAN
SUDAN
YEMEN
SOUTH
SUDAN
SOMALIA
ETHIOPIA
Detail
Kenya
Source: State Department
Country of concern
Sponsor of terrorism
ALGERIA
TURKEY
SYRIA
LIBYA
AFGH.
IRAQ
IRAN
NIGER
India
EGYPT
PAK.
SAUDI
ARABIA
U.A.E.
CHAD
OMAN
SUDAN
YEMEN
SOUTH
SUDAN
Detail
ETHIOPIA
CONGO
SOMALIA
Kenya
Source: State Department
Country of concern
Sponsor of terrorism
ALGERIA
TURKEY
SYRIA
LIBYA
AFGH.
IRAQ
IRAN
NIGER
EGYPT
PAK.
India
SAUDI
ARABIA
U.A.E.
CHAD
OMAN
SUDAN
YEMEN
SOUTH
SUDAN
Detail
ETHIOPIA
CONGO
SOMALIA
Kenya
Source: State Department
Visas from these seven countries, about 90,000 in total, were less than 1 percent of all U.S. visas given for permanent residence, as well as temporary travel, study and other reasons in 2015. This is the most current data available.
Iran, Iraq,
Libya, Somalia,
Sudan, Syria
and Yemen
0.8%
China
23.3%
TOTAL
11.4M
visas
Mexico
13.7%
Other
countries
Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia,
Sudan, Syria and Yemen
0.8%
China
23.3%
TOTAL
11.4M
visas
Other
countries
Mexico
13.7%
Of all the countries, Iran should have the most potential travelers affected by the ban. About half of the visas given in these seven countries were given to Iranians last year. The Post’s Fact Checker has more detail on this calculation.
Type of U.S. visas issued last
year in 7 affected countries
Fiscal 2015
Green
cards
Non-immigrant
(visitor, student, other)
Iran
42,542
Iraq
15,509
Syria
11,962
Yemen
7,668
Sudan
6,722
Libya
3,575
Somalia
1,409
0
20K
40K
Type of U.S. visas issued last year in 7 Affected countries
Fiscal 2015
Green
cards
Travel
(business, tourism)
Student
Other
0
10K
20K
30K
40K
42,542
Iran
Iraq
15,509
Syria
11,962
Yemen
7,668
Sudan
6,722
Libya
3,575
Somalia
1,409
0
10K
20K
30K
40K
What does it mean for refugees?
The country will not accept any refugees for the next four months, according to the order, while vetting procedures are reviewed. While the seven countries singled out for visa restrictions account for a relatively small portion of all visas, they were some of the biggest contributors of refugees to the United States in 2016.
On its way out of office, the Obama administration hoped the country would accept 110,000 refugees in fiscal 2017, which began in October. Admissions since then have kept pace to hit that ambitious goal, but Trump’s executive order cut the target by more than half, limiting it to 50,000 refugees. This means that while only a quarter of the fiscal year has transpired, the United States has already accepted about half of all the refugees it plans to accept in that time.
About 872 refugees who are considered to be in transit will be allowed to enter the country according to the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday.
REFUGEE ADMISSIONS
BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN IN 2016
16,370
Congo
Syria
12,587
12,347
Burma
9,880
Iraq
9,020
Somalia
Bhutan
5,817
Iran
3,750
Afghanistan
2,737
Ukraine
2,543
Eritrea
1,949
Other
(including:
Sudan 1,428
Yemen 26
Libya 1)
7,994
ACCUMULATED REFUGEE
ADMISSIONS IN FISCAL YEAR 2017
50,000
Trump’s executive order determines 50,000 should be the limit of refugees in fiscal year 2017.
40,000
32,125
30,000
25,671
18,300
9,945
0
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
REFUGEE ADMISSIONS
BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN IN 2016
ACCUMULATED REFUGEE
ADMISSIONS IN FISCAL YEAR 2017
Trump’s executive order determines 50,000 should be the limit of refugees in fiscal year 2017.
50,000
16,370
Congo
40,000
Syria
12,587
32,125
30,000
12,347
Burma
25,671
9,880
Iraq
18,300
20,000
9,020
Somalia
Bhutan
5,817
9,945
Iran
3,750
10,000
Afghanistan
2,737
Ukraine
2,543
Eritrea
1,949
Other
(including:
Sudan 1,428
Yemen 26
Libya 1)
7,994
0
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
REFUGEE ADMISSIONS BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN IN 2016
ACCUMULATED REFUGEE ADMISSIONS IN FISCAL YEAR 2017
Trump’s executive order determines 50,000 should be the limit of refugees in fiscal year 2017.
50,000
16,370
Congo
40,000
Syria
12,587
32,125
30,000
12,347
Burma
25,671
9,880
Iraq
18,300
20,000
9,020
Somalia
Bhutan
5,817
9,945
Iran
3,750
10,000
Afghanistan
2,737
Ukraine
2,543
Eritrea
1,949
Other
(including:
Sudan 1,428
Yemen 26
Libya 1)
7,994
0
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
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