Trump’s revised travel ban order aimed at withstanding legal challenges

World Today

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a second Executive Order, restricting travel from certain Muslim-majority countries. This time, the president signed the order privately, leaving the public unveiling to three members of his cabinet.

CGTN’s Jessica Stone reports.

The revamped order aims to correct legal issues in the original that led to it being blocked by the courts. But what are some of the more notable differences between the two executive orders?

This is a reversal of the most controversial parts of the president’s original temporary travel ban first unveiled just a week after taking office.

It was a noticeable break from Trump’s first travel ban signing back in January, which led to chaotic and emotional scenes at U.S. and international airports and raised concerns that it targeted visitors based on their Muslim faith.

The new order affects six majority-Muslim countries: Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Iraq was removed.

It suspends new visa applications for 90 days beginning on March 16. In addition, it no longer gives preference to religious minorities, which could help counter the assertion the ban was directed at Muslims.

“Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism. The other three have served as safe havens for terrorists,” Jeff Sessions, U.S. Attorney General said.

The new order is a victory for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, who used his first phone call with President Trump to request Iraq be dropped from the list.

The order also no longer bars Syrian refugees indefinitely, instead launching a 120 day review of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

“We cannot risk the prospect of malevolent actors using our immigration system to take American lives,” John Kelly, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security said.

But to critics who question why nations whose citizens have been implicated in terror plots, such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, U.S. officials acknowledge that diplomacy must go hand-in-hand with implementation.

“To our allies and partners around the world, please understand this order is part of our ongoing efforts to eliminate vulnerabilities that radical Islamist terrorists can and will exploit toward destructive ends,” Rex Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State said.


Wardah Khalid discusses the Trump administrations revised travel ban

For more on U.S. President Trump’s updated travel ban executive order, CGTN’s Susan Roberts spoke with Wardah Khalid, Middle East policy analyst and media associate for Church World Service.