US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has signed a revised travel ban that will temporarily halt entry to the US for people from six Muslim-majority countries who are seeking visas.
Trump’s directive aims to address legal issues with the original order, which caused confusion at American airports, sparked protests around the country and was ultimately blocked by federal courts.
The revised order is narrower and specifies that a 90-day ban on people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen does not apply to those who already have valid visas, who can travel freely.
The White House also dropped Iraq from the list of countries following pressure from the Pentagon and State Department, which had urged the White House to reconsider, in light of Iraq’s role in fighting Daesh extremist forces.
A fact sheet obtained by reporters cites negotiations that resulted in Iraq agreeing to “increase cooperation with the US government on the vetting of its citizens applying for a visa to travel to the United States”.
An Iraqi spokesman said the change marks a “positive step” and showed Washington and Baghdad had a “real partnership”.
The mere existence of the fact sheet signalled that the White House was taking steps to improve the rollout of the reworked directive.
The initial measure was hastily signed at the end of Trump’s first week in office, and the White House was roundly criticised for not providing Cabinet officials and others with information ahead of the signing.
Notably, Trump was not holding a public signing ceremony for the new measure and White House press secretary Sean Spicer was not scheduled to hold an on-camera briefing, leading to the appearance that the president was distancing himself from the order.
The order also risks being overshadowed by unsubstantiated accusations the president made over the weekend that former president Barack Obama had ordered the tapping of his phone during the campaign.
Trump administration officials said that even with the changes, the goal of the new order was the same as the first: keeping would-be terrorists out of the US while the government reviews the vetting system for refugees and visa applicants from certain parts of the world.
According to the fact sheet, the Department of Homeland Security will conduct a country-by-country review of the information the six targeted nations provides to the US for visa and immigration decisions.
Those countries will then have 50 days to comply with US government requests to update or improve it.
Additionally, Trump’s order suspends the entire US refugee programme for 120 days, though refugees already formally scheduled for travel will be allowed entry.
When the suspension is lifted, the number of refugees allowed into the US will be capped at 50,000 for fiscal year 2017. Other changes are also expected, including no longer singling out Syrian refugees for an indefinite ban.
Syrian refugees will now be treated like other refugees and be subjected to the 120-day suspension of the refugee programme.
Legal experts say the new order addresses some of the constitutional concerns raised by a federal appeals court about the initial ban, but leaves room for more legal challenges.
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