BREAKING: Donald Trump bans six countries, excludes Iraq
- A revised immigration order has been signed by President Donald Trump
- The order signed by the US President will see to the restriction of citizens from six countries from entering America
- The countries excluded are predominantly Islamic nations
- Trump's administration says the move not against any religion
President Donald Trump of the United States, has signed a revised immigration order, which restricts citizens from six countries from entering America.
Most of the countries banned, were predominantly Muslim nations, including: Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
An administration official confirmed that Trump signed the new order on Monday morning, March 6.
Iraq is excluded from the initial list of seven countries in the new order.
Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said legal residents were always excluded from the entry ban, “but that’s made much more clear now.
“If you have travel docs, if you actually have a visa, if you are a legal permanent resident, you are not covered under this particular executive action.”
Conway also confirmed that Syrian refugees will have the same 120-day ban, as refugees from other countries, until the screening procedures are reviewed.
READ ALSO: Trump becomes born again: One Muslim nation to be taken off ban list
Recall that a federal court had blocked Trump’s previous immigration order.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Iraq's removal from the list came after an intense review from the State Department to improve vetting of Iraqi citizens in collaboration with the Iraqi government, though he did not specify how vetting had been improved.
"The United States welcomes this kind of close cooperation," he said. "This revised order will bolster the security of the United States and our allies."
CNN reports that the rollout of the revised travel ban marks an important moment for the administration, which has little room for error after the chaotic debut of the original plan.
That failure raised questions about the new White House's capacity to govern and to master the political intricacies needed to manage complicated political endeavors in Washington.
It also brought Trump into conflict with the judiciary in the first sign of how constitutional checks and balances could challenge his vision of a powerful presidency built on expansive executive authority.
The original order came under intense criticism as an attempt to bar Muslims from entering the country, and Trump's call during the campaign for a "Muslim Ban" was cited in court cases attacking the ban.
The new order does not prioritize religious minorities when considering refugee admissions cases.
Administration officials Monday stressed they do not see the ban as targeting a specific religion.
"(The order is) not any way targeted as a Muslim ban ... we want to make sure everyone understands that," an official told reporters.
"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 said.
Democrats responded by calling Trump's order a repeat version of the first attempt.
Source: Legit.ng
