can you do it before midnight?
2/1/2017 Trump signs 'extreme vetting' executive order for people entering the US | US news | The Guardian
https://www .theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/27/donald-trump-muslim-refugee-ban-executive-action 1/5
Tru m p s ign s 'e x tr e m e v ett in g' e x ecu tiv e o rd er
fo r p eo p le e n te rin g th e U S
Tru m p a n nou nce d an d sign ed ex ecu ti ve a ctio n t h at h as w ide ly b een r e p orte d a s a t e m pora ry b an o n r e fu ge es
an d im migr an ts f r o m M uslim -m ajo rity c o u ntr ie s
S ab rin a S id d iq u i i n W ash in gto n
Dem on stra to rs t a ke p art in a r a lly in s u p port o f M uslim s a n d im mig ra n ts F rid ay in N ew Y o rk C it y . P hoto g ra p h: M ary A lt a ff er/A P
Frid ay 2 7 J a n uary 2 0 17 16 .5 4 ES T
M ark in g a d ra co n ia n s h if t i n U S p olic y, D on ald T ru m p o n F rid ay i s su ed a n e x ecu tiv e o rd er t h at
w ill d en y r e fu gees a n d i m mig ra n ts f r o m c e rta in M uslim -m ajo rit y c o u ntr ie s e n tr y t o t h e U nit e d
S ta te s.
W it h a s im ple s tr o ke o f h is p en , t h e p re sid en t i s su ed w hat h e d u bbed “ e x tr e m e v ett in g” m easu re s
in te n ded t o “ k eep t e rro ris ts o u t” o f t h e U nit e d S ta te s – t h e d eta ils o f w hic h w ere e v en m ore s e v ere
th an h ad b een e x p ecte d . 2/1/2017 Trump signs 'extreme vetting' executive order for people entering the US | US news | The Guardian
https://www .theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/27/donald-trump-muslim-refugee-ban-executive-action 2/5
Tru m p’s u npre ce d en te d a ctio n w ill i n defi nit e ly c lo se U S b ord ers t o r e fu gees fl eein g t h e
h u m an it a ria n c ris is i n w ar-to rn S y ria a n d i m pose a d e f a cto b an o n M uslim s t r a v elin g t o t h e U S
fr o m p arts o f t h e M id d le E ast a n d N orth A fr ic a b y p rio rit iz in g r e fu gee c la im s “ o n t h e b asis o f
re lig io u s-b ase d p ers e cu tio n ”.
“W e a re e sta b lis h in g n ew v ett in g m easu re s, t o k eep r a d ic a l I s la m ic t e rro ris ts o u t o f t h e U nit e d
S ta te s o f A m eric a ,” T ru m p s a id o n F rid ay, d u rin g a v is it t o t h e D ep artm en t o f D efe n se . “ W e d on ’t
w an t ’e m h ere . W e w an t t o e n su re w e a re n ’t a d m it t in g i n to o u r c o u ntr y t h e v ery t h re ats t h at o u r
m en a n d w om en a re fi gh tin g o vers e as.”
N early t w o h ou rs l a te r, t h e Wh it e H ou se m ad e p u blic h is e x ecu tiv e o rd er, t it le d Pro te ctio n O f T he
N atio n F ro m F o re ig n T erro ris t E ntr y I n to T he U nit e d S ta te s .
T he a ctio n p u ts i n p la ce a 9 0-d ay b lo ck o n e n tr y t o t h e U S f r o m c it iz e n s f r o m I r a n , I r a q , S y ria ,
Y em en , S u dan , L ib ya a n d S o m alia . I t i s u ncle ar w heth er t h e m easu re w ou ld a p ply t o c it iz e n s o f
th ose c o u ntr ie s o n t r ip s a b ro ad w ho a lr e ad y h av e p erm is sio n t o l iv e a n d w ork i n t h e U S.
It s u sp en ds t h e a d m it t a n ce o f a ll r e fu gees t o t h e U S f o r a p erio d o f 1 20 d ay s, a n d t e rm in ate s
in defi nit e ly a ll r e fu gee a d m is sio n s f r o m Sy ria , w here t h e n early s ix -y ear w ar u nder B ash ar a l-
A ssa d ’s r e g im e h as l e d t o m ore t h an 5 00,0 00 c iv ilia n d eath s a n d c re ate d t h e d is p la ce m en t o f a n
e stim ate d 1 1 m illio n S y ria n s.
It a ls o c a p s t h e t o ta l n um ber o f r e fu gees e n te rin g t h e U S i n 2 017 t o 5 0,0 00 – l e ss t h an h alf t h e
pre v io u s y ear’s fi gu re o f 1 17,0 00.
T he m ove, w hic h a p pears t o r u n c o u nte r t o t h e U S c o n stit u tio n ’s p rin cip le o f n ot d is c rim in atin g
on t h e b asis o f r e lig io n , f u lfi lls t h e v o w T ru m p m ad e o n t h e c a m paig n t r a il t o l im it M uslim
im mig ra tio n t o t h e U S.
“W e o n ly w an t t o a d m it t h ose i n to o u r c o u ntr y w ho w ill s u pp ort o u r c o u ntr y a n d l o ve d eep ly o u r
peo p le ,” T ru m p s a id .
A s a c a n did ate , T ru m p r e p eate d ly p le d ged t o b ar e n tr y t o r e fu gees fl eein g w ar-to rn I r a q a n d S y ria .
H e a ls o c a lle d f o r “ a t o ta l a n d c o m ple te s h u td ow n” o f M uslim i m mig ra tio n t o t h e U S, a p ro p osa l
th at w as m et w it h w id esp re ad c o n dem natio n f r o m b oth p olit ic a l p artie s.
A lt h ou gh T ru m p a d m in is tr a tio n o ffi cia ls h av e c o n tin ued t o i n sis t t h at t h e p re sid en t’s a ctio n s a re
n ot t a rg ete d a t M uslim s o r a n y o n e f a it h , t h e t e x t o f t h e e x ecu tiv e o rd er m ad e e x p lic it t h at t h e U S
go vern m en t w ou ld p rio rit iz e r e lig io u s m in orit ie s i n M uslim -m ajo rit y c o u ntr ie s u pon r e su m in g i t s
a d m it t a n ce o f r e fu gees:
“ U pon t h e r e su m ptio n o f U SR A P [ U S R efu gee A dm is sio n s P ro gra m ] a d m is sio n s, t h e s e cre ta ry o f
sta te , i n c o n su lt a tio n w it h t h e s e cre ta ry o f H om ela n d S ecu rit y , i s f u rth er d ir e cte d t o m ak e
ch an ges, t o t h e e x te n t p erm it t e d b y l a w , t o p rio rit iz e r e fu gee c la im s m ad e b y i n div id u als o n t h e
basis o f r e lig io u s-b ase d p ers e cu tio n , p ro v id ed t h at t h e r e lig io n o f t h e i n div id u al i s a m in orit y
r e lig io n i n t h e i n div id u al’s c o u ntr y o f n atio n alit y .”
T he p re sid en t h as h im se lf s a id n on -M uslim r e lig io u s m in orit ie s w ou ld b e p rio rit iz e d f o r e n tr y t o
t h e U S. D urin g a n in te rv ie w w it h t h e Ch ris tia n B ro ad ca stin g N etw ork o n F rid ay , T ru m p s a id h is
a d m in is tr a tio n w ou ld p la ce a n e m ph asis o n h elp in g p ers e cu te d C hris tia n s i n t h e M id d le E ast a n d
N orth A fr ic a . 2/1/2017 Trump signs 'extreme vetting' executive order for people entering the US | US news | The Guardian
https://www .theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/27/donald-trump-muslim-refugee-ban-executive-action 3/5
“T hey ’v e b een h orrib ly t r e ate d ,” T ru m p s a id . “ D o y o u k n ow i f y o u w ere a C hris tia n i n S y ria i t w as
im possib le , a t l e ast v ery t o u gh , t o g et i n to t h e U nit e d S ta te s?
“ If y o u w ere a M uslim y o u c o u ld c o m e i n , b u t i f y o u w ere a C hris tia n , i t w as a lm ost i m possib le ,
an d t h e r e aso n t h at w as s o u nfa ir ,” h e f a ls e ly a ss e rte d .
“E very b od y w as p ers e cu te d i n a ll f a ir n ess , b u t t h ey w ere c h op pin g o ff t h e h ead s o f e v ery b od y,
b u t m ore s o t h e Ch ris tia n s. A nd I t h ou gh t i t w as v ery , v ery u nfa ir .”
A lt h ou gh I s is h as t a rg ete d m em bers o f r e lig io u s m in orit ie s i n S y ria a n d I r a q , i n clu din g C hris tia n s
an d Y azid is , t h e v ast m ajo rit y o f t h eir v ic tim s h av e b een M uslim .
The o rd er a ls o c a lls f o r t h e h om ela n d s e cu rit y s e cre ta ry a n d t h e s e cre ta ry o f s ta te t o d ra w u p a l is t
o f c o u ntr ie s i n 6 0 d ay s w hose c it iz e n s s h ou ld b e b an ned u ntil t h e U S i s s a tis fi ed t h at t h ose
c o u ntr ie s a re g iv in g t h e U S e n ou gh i n fo rm atio n t o w eed o u t v is a a p p lic a n ts w ho a re a p u blic
s a fe ty t h re at. N ew c o u ntr ie s c a n b e a d d ed t o t h e l is t a t a n y t im e.
It c a lls f o r t h e i n tr o d u ctio n o f a n ew s c re en in g p ro ce ss f o r i m mig ra n ts a n d a r e v is io n o f t h e
re fu gee a d m is sio n p ro ce sse s. R efu gees c u rre n tly i n t h e s y ste m m ust n ow w ait u ntil t h ese n ew
p ro ce sse s a re d ra w n u p b efo re b ein g a cc e p te d . I t a ls o i n it ia te s a n e x am in atio n o f s ta te s’ r ig h ts t o
r e je ct r e fu gees.
B ets y F is h er, t h e d ir e cto r o f p olic y a t t h e I n te rn atio n al R efu gee A ssis ta n ce P ro je ct, s a id : “ T he
ex ecu tiv e o rd er d oesn ’t s a y ‘ w e’r e b an nin g M uslim s’. I t s a y s, ‘ w e’r e b an nin g p eo p le f r o m M uslim
c o u ntr ie s e x ce p t f o r t h e n on -M usli m s’.”
T he n um ber o f r e fu gees c u rre n tly a rriv in g t o t h e U S i s n ot h ig h b y h is to ric s ta n dard s. I n t h e e arly
1 990s, m ore t h an 1 00,0 00 r e fu gees w ere a d m it t e d t o t h e c o u ntr y a n n ually . B ut b y 2 015, t h e l a te st
y ear c o vere d b y D ep artm en t f o r H om ela n d S ecu rit y ( D H S) s ta tis tic s, t h at fi gu re h ad f a lle n t o j u st
6 9,9 20 r e fu gees. T he n um ber o f r e fu gees a d m it t e d t o t h e U S i n cre ase d s ig n ifi ca n tly i n 2 016, t o
9 6,8 75, a cco rd in g t o t h e R efu gee P ro ce ssin g C en te r.
T hat fi gu re r e p re se n ts j u st 0 .0 3% o f t h e U S p op u la tio n o f 3 23 m illio n p eo p le .
F u rth erm ore , t h e v ett in g p ro ce ss f o r r e fu gees c o m in g t o t h e U S i s h ig h ly r ig o ro u s a n d c a n t a k e u p
to t w o y ears .
Ir a q is r e p re se n te d t h e s e co n d l a rg est g ro u p o f r e fu gees a rriv in g t o t h e U S i n 2 016. T he n ew
p re sid en t’s a ctio n i s e x p ecte d t o a ff ect t h ou sa n ds o f I r a q is w ho h av e se rv ed a lo n gsid e t h e U S
m ilit a ry a s i n te rp re te rs , t r a in ers a n d s o ld ie rs s in ce t h e U S-le d i n vasio n o f t h e c o u ntr y i n 2 003. A s
of J u ne 2 016, t h ere w as a b ack lo g o f 5 8,0 00 I r a q is w ho w ere p ro ce sse d f o r p ossib le r e se tt le m en t
in t h e U S.
Wh ile a n nou ncin g h is e x ecu tiv e a ctio n a t t h e D ep artm en t o f D efe n se o n F rid ay, T ru m p
su m mon ed t h e m em ory o f t h e 9 /1 1 t e rro r a tt a ck s, s a y in g “ w e w ill n ev er f o rg et t h e l e sso n s o f
9 /1 1, n or t h e h ero es w ho h av e l o st t h eir l iv es a t t h e P en ta g o n .” H ow ev er, n on e o f t h e 1 9 h ija ck ers
w ho c o m mit t e d t h ose a tt a ck s w ere f r o m c o u ntr ie s c it e d i n t h e o rd er.
I n f a ct, a n a n aly sis o f t e rro ris t a tt a ck s o n U S s o il b etw een 1 975 a n d 2 015, p u blis h ed b y t h e C ato
In stit u te , f o u nd t h at f o re ig n n atio n als f r o m t h e s e v en c o u ntr ie s s in gle d o u t b y T ru m p’s e x ecu tiv e
o rd er h av e k ille d z e ro A m eric a n s. 2/1/2017 Trump signs 'extreme vetting' executive order for people entering the US | US news | The Guardian
https://www .theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/27/donald-trump-muslim-refugee-ban-executive-action 4/5
Top ic s
US i m mig ra tio n D on ald T ru m p Is la m U S n atio n al s e cu rit y S y ria M ore …
R ep u blic a n s w ere q u ic k t o e m bra ce T ru m p’s a ctio n s a s a m att e r o f n atio n al s e cu rit y .
“ O ur n um ber o n e r e sp on sib ilit y i s t o p ro te ct t h e h om ela n d,” H ou se s p eak er P au l R yan s a id i n a
s ta te m en t. “ I s u pport t h e r e fu gee r e se tt le m en t p ro gra m , b u t i t ’s t im e t o r e ev alu ate a n d s tr e n gth en
th e v is a v ett in g p ro ce ss . .. P re sid en t T ru m p i s r ig h t t o m ak e s u re w e a re d oin g e v ery th in g p ossib le
t o k n ow e x actly w ho i s e n te rin g o u r c o u ntr y .”
B ut D em ocra ts , i m mig ra n t a n d c iv il r ig h ts g ro u ps, a n d f a it h l e ad ers f r o m v ario u s b ack gro u n ds
sh arp ly c o n dem ned T ru m p’s a ctio n a s c o u nte r t o A m eric a’s l o n gsta n din g t r a d it io n o f o p en in g i t s
d oors t o r e fu gees.
Ch uck S ch u m er a n d N an cy P elo si, t h e D em ocra tic l e ad ers i n C on gre ss, b oth i n vo ked d ra m atic
im ag es o f a s o rro w fu l S ta tu e o f L ib erty .
“ T ears a re r u nnin g d ow n t h e c h eek s o f t h e S ta tu e o f L ib erty t o n ig h t a s a g ra n d t r a d it io n o f
A m eric a , w elc o m in g i m mig ra n ts , t h at h as e x is te d s in ce A m eric a w as f o u n ded h as b een s to m ped
u pon ,” S ch u m er, t h e S en ate m in orit y l e ad er, s a id i n a s ta te m en t.
“ T his i s o n e o f t h e m ost b ack w ard a n d n asty e x ecu tiv e o rd ers t h at t h e p re sid en t h as i s su ed .”
P elo si, t h e H ou se m in orit y l e ad er, a ls o r e fe re n ce d t e ars i n t h e e y es o f t h e L ib erty I s la n d s c u lp tu re
a t “ h ow l o w t h is a d m in is tr a tio n h as s to op ed i n i t s c a llo u sn ess t o w ard m oth ers a n d c h ild re n
esc a p in g w ar-to rn S y ria ” .
“ T his a d m in is tr a tio n h as m is ta k en c ru elt y f o r s tr e n gth a n d p re ju dic e f o r s tr a te g y,” s h e s a id .
T he Co uncil o n A m eric a n -Is la m ic R ela tio n s ( C air ) a n nou nce d p la n s t o fi le a f e d era l l a w su it
M on day o n b eh alf o f m ore t h an 2 0 i n div id u als c h alle n gin g w hat i t d u bbed a s T ru m p’s “ M uslim
b an ” e x ecu tiv e o rd er.
“ O ur fi rs t a m en dm en t i s u nder a tt a ck ,” s a id S h ere ef A keel, a c o -c o u nse l o n t h e l a w su it .
“ W e, a s a tt o rn ey s, a re f o ot s o ld ie rs o f t h e A m eric a n C on stit u tio n a n d t o ok a n o ath t o p ro te ct a ll
f r o m b ein g t a rg ete d b y t h e g o vern m en t b eca u se o f t h eir f a it h .”
T he l a w su it w ill b e fi le d i n t h e U S d is tr ic t c o u rt – w este rn d is tr ic t o f V ir g in ia a n d c h alle n ge t h e
ex ecu tiv e o rd er’s c o n stit u tio n alit y o n w hat a s ta te m en t f r o m C air c h ara cte riz e d a s i t s i n te n t a n d
underly in g m otiv e “ to b an p eo p le o f t h e I s la m ic f a it h f r o m M uslim -m ajo rit y c o u ntr ie s f r o m
en te rin g t h e U nit e d S ta te s” .
E arlie r t h is w eek , N ih ad A w ad , C air ’s n atio n al e x ecu tiv e d ir e cto r s a id : “ O ne o f o u r n atio n ’s d ark est
m om en ts w as d u rin g W orld W ar I I, w hen w e t u rn ed a w ay J e w is h r e fu gees s e ek in g o u r p ro te ctio n .
W e c a n not a llo w r e lig io u s b ig o tr y t o a ff ect o u r w illin gn ess a n d a b ilit y t o w elc o m e t h ose fl eein g
vio le n ce a n d p ers e cu tio n .”
T he p re sid en t a n nou nce d t h e r e str ic tiv e m easu re s o n H olo ca u st M em oria l D ay.
A ddit io n al r e p ortin g by R aya J a la bi, M on a C hala bi a n d M azin S id ah m ed 2/1/2017 Trump signs 'extreme vetting' executive order for people entering the US | US news | The Guardian
https://www .theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/27/donald-trump-muslim-refugee-ban-executive-action 5/5
Reu se t h is c o n te n t
