US Travel ban: What’s different and who will it affect?

Unlike the rollout of the first travel ban, which caught many of Trump’s Republican supporters off-guard and stunned, the new version won the immediate backing of top Republicans.

Though the original travel ban is still tied up in legal challenges in the us court system, the Trump Administration issued a new, updated immigration and travel ban on Monday. This new order suspends the US refugee program for 120 days and bans new visas for citizens from every country listed on the previous ban except for Iraq. The new ban justifies the measures by stating that there are currently 300 people who entered the country as refugees who are now subject to counterterrorism investigations; the White House would not tell reporters which countries the 300 people come from.

The directive, which takes effect on 16 March, places a 90-day ban on people from six mainly Muslim nations and a 120-day ban on all refugees.

In a court filing on Tuesday, Hawaii said it would seek a temporary restraining order against the new travel ban.

In a tweet a few hours after Trump issued his latest order, Ferguson said: “It will take a few days to gauge how new order may harm Washington businesses, universities, etc”. The initial travel ban sparked protests throughout the USA and caused chaos at airports.

Hawaii plans to file its amended lawsuit on Wednesday.

The executive order also contains a string of exemptions.

One of the groups eligible for waivers under the new ban are those seeking to visit or live with a close relative and who would face hardship if denied entry.

“Given that the new Executive Order began life as a “Muslim ban“, its implementation also means that the State will be forced to tolerate a policy that disfavors one religion and violates the Establishment Clauses of both the federal and state constitutions”, the proposed complaint states.

The US appeals court previously criticised the government for failing to provide “evidence that any alien from any of the countries named in the order” had committed a terrorist attack in the US.

On Monday, March 6, the Trump administration announced a new travel ban barring all refugees and travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries for 90 days. What’s more, language providing people from “religious minorities” (namely Christians in the banned countries) with special assistance has been removed.

President Donald Trump today dropped Iraq from a list of countries targeted in a controversial 27 January executive order on immigration.

The US Department of Justice declined to comment on the pending lawsuit.