Donald Trump rolled out a revised executive order temporarily barring the entry of people from certain Muslim-majority countries on Monday, with three high-ranking members of the administration detailing the update.
The new order has been in the works since a federal court blocked Trump’s initial effort. People from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen who do not currently have valid visas will be blocked from coming to the U.S. for 90 days, according to the revision.
Iraq, originally included on the list of banned countries, has been removed from the ban after agreeing to cooperate with the U.S. on increased vetting of its citizens applying for a travel visa.
“Iraq is an important ally in the fight to defeat ISIS,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. “This revised order will bolster the security of the United States and her allies.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke next, noting that three of the countries on the list are “state sponsors of terrorism.” He noted the other as “safe havens” for groups such as ISIS.
“We cannot compromise our nation’s security by allowing visitors entry when their own governments are unable or unwilling to provide the information we need to vet them responsibly,” Sessions said.
“This executive order responsibly provides a needed pause so we can carefully review how we scrutinize people coming here from these countries,” Sessions said. “The Department of Justice believes that this executive order, just as the first executive order, is a lawful and proper exercise of presidential authority.”
Sessions continued, “Terrorism is clearly a danger of America and our people.”
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly spoke third, saying we are “not immune to terrorist threats,” and promised the order makes the nation more secure.
“We cannot risk the prospect of malevolent actors using our immigration system to take American lives,” Kelly said.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals court upheld the suspension of Trump’s original travel ban after the order sparked outrage across the nation while setting off confusion and chaos at airports worldwide as officials seemed unclear how to implement it.
The new ban will go into effect on March 16 at 12:01 a.m. ET, giving authorities much more time to prepare for the second attempt. Political pundits, business leaders, Hollywood stars and rival politicians are among the numerous groups that have spoken out against the original order.
Tillerson, Sessions and Kelly ignored questions from the media as they exited the room, with one reporter asking if the new ban is an admission that the original was flawed.
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