New Ban

From the BBC:

"Trump signs new travel ban directive"

President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order placing a 90-day ban on people from six mainly Muslim nations. Iraq - which was covered in the previous seven-nation order - has been removed from the new one after agreeing to additional visa vetting measures. The directive, which includes a 120-day ban on all refugees, takes effect on 16 March.  The previous order, which was blocked by a federal court, sparked confusion at airports and mass protests. Presented as a means to strengthen national security against terror threats, it was blocked by the courts and effectively remains on hold. The new order was unveiled by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.  "The fact remains that we are not immune to terrorist threats and that our enemies often use our own freedoms and generosity against us," said Mr Kelly.  In justifying the refugee ban, Mr Sessions said there are more than 300 refugees under investigation for potential terror offences. But no further details were given.  Citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, the other six countries on the original 27 January order, will once more be subject to a 90-day travel ban. Iraq has been taken off the banned list because its government has boosted visa screening and data sharing, White House officials said.  The new directive says refugees already approved by the State Department can enter the US. It also lifts an indefinite ban on all Syrian refugees.   Green Card holders (legal permanent residents of the US) from the named countries will not be affected. The new order does not give priority to religious minorities, unlike the previous directive.  Critics of the Trump administration had argued that this was an unlawful policy showing preference to Christian refugees. The top US prosecutor said three of the countries were state sponsors of terrorism. The other three, Mr Sessions said, had lost control of territory to militants such as the Islamic State group or al-Qaeda.  Mr Kelly added that unregulated and unvetted travel was putting national security at risk.  He said the US cannot tolerate "malevolent actors using our immigration system to take American lives". Gone are the most controversial measures of the old order, such as preference for Christian refugees and the suspension of existing visas and green cards. The details of the action's implementation are outlined with greater clarity this time, with more than a week before the new rules kick in. It's still an open question as to what, if anything, this order will do to prevent violent attacks on US soil, given that past high-profile incidents have not involved individuals from any of the six named countries.The new order is set to take effect on 16 March. White House officials hope the 10 days' notice will help to avoid some of the chaotic scenes at US airports that occurred on 27 January when the first executive order was announced without warning. Travellers with valid visas who were in the air at the time found themselves detained by border officials on arrival.

^ This is a much better and thought-out order. Now only does it explain the reason for these specific countries being included, but also outlines what will happen to those who already have visas as well as dual citizens and Green Card holders. It also prepares US Embassies US Immigration  and airports around the world so the chaos of the first order is not repeated. That chaos led to many rumors and many incidents that could have easily been avoided. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39183153