US President Donald Trump has updated his executive order on travel ban. (File photo)
Highlights
- Yemen, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia named in new order
- US courts had overturned Trump's last immigration order
- Trump had promised 'extreme vetting' of immigrants to counter terrorism
US President Donald Trump has signed a fresh immigration order in which six Muslim-majority nations have been named. As expected, the list has left Iraq out. The nations named include Yemen, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia. The ban, which will last for 90 days, comes into effect from March 16.
The revised order excludes Green card holders and those holding a valid visa. Refugees from Syria, who, according to the earlier list, were banned indefinitely, will now be banned for 120 days.
The White House said President Trump signed the order behind closed doors "this morning".
The revised order came after a federal appeals court refused to lift the suspension on the earlier travel ban, which temporarily barred citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and refugees from entering the United States. It had resulted in chaos across airports and was promptly challenged in court.
In the new order, the language saying Christians were being persecuted in these countries has been removed.
Last week, announcing that a new order will be issued, President Trump had said the new order will contain new vetting measures for travellers.
The government is now expected to provide a notice and the opportunity to respond, which is seen as areas that can still be contested. The legal issues raised in the previous order -- including not giving due process under the fifth amendment to individuals -- is still expected to be a contentious issue.
"Extreme vetting will be put in place, and it already is in place in many places," President Trump had said. The administration, he said, "had to go quicker than we thought" because of the federal court's refusal to lift the suspension.