President Donald Trump issued a new executive order Monday temporarily banning all refugees, as well as people from six majority-Muslim countries, from entering the United States. According to White House officials, Trump signed the executive order out of public view—a sharp departure from the way he signed his first travel ban order, which caused nationwide protests at airports before being blocked by the courts in February. The new ban applies to people from Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, but not those from Iraq. The ban will not apply to people from the six countries with green cards or who already have a visa and is set to take effect on March 16. Despite the changes, immigration advocates say the new ban still discriminates against Muslims.
“This administration is actively working to undercut religious liberties and the freedom of American Muslims, despite constitutional protections that guarantee freedom of religion to all” Nihad Awad from the Council on American-Islamic Relations said.
