On Monday, March 5, 2017, Trump signed an executive order of his revised travel ban. The travel ban will halt America’s refugee program and temporarily ban the entry of people seeking to come to the United States from several countries. The new revised version will exclude legal permanent residents and leave Iraq off a list of countries whose residents would be subject to a temporary travel ban. Countries wh visas are banned include Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen. The new order has been in the process of revision, since a federal court blocked Trump’s initial effort. The new version would no longer indefinitely bar Syrian refugees from entering the United States.
It temporarily suspends admissions of refugees from all counties. Another key difference includes the dropping of indefinite suspension of Syrian refugees. It blocks admission of people with no previous status in the U.S.. Most importantly, it exempts legal permanent residents and other current visa holders in the U.S.
There are multiple reasonings behind Iraq being removed from the list of countries that will undergo a ninety day travel ban. The Pentagon and State Department have put pressure on Trump and the administration to do such. This is because of Iraq’s key role in helping the fight against ISIS. Sam Carlson, senior, said, “It’s important that we, as a country, keep our allies close and don’t turn our back on those who help us in order to help destroy the terrorist group ISIS.”
One similarity in the two orders is that it will reduce refugee admissions by 50% in 2017, according to Fox News. It will also establish a system of extreme vetting. Trump hopes this will keep out anyone who doesn’t share “American Values” as well as anyone who is not prepared to embrace a tolerant American society.
“The vast majority of individuals convicted of terrorism and terrorism-related offenses since 9/11 came here from outside our country,” said Trump during a session of congress last week.
