Donald Trump's immigration decree in six key dates
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a revised executive order on immigration temporarily denying access to the United States to all refugees and travelers from six mainly Muslim countries.
The new order replaces a broader ban issued in the first days of Trump's presidency that was blocked by the federal courts after its chaotic introduction.
The revised decree, which will go into effect on March 16, drops Iraq from a list of targeted countries, exempts current visa holders and permanent US residents, and no longer blocks Syrian refugees indefinitely.
The original decree summarily denied entry to all refugees for 120 days, and travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. Refugees from Syria were blocked indefinitely.
Here are six key dates in the battle over the new administration's immigration restrictions:
Just one week after his inauguration, Trump unveiled his order on January 27 with no prior warning, sowing travel chaos and confusion, and igniting worldwide outrage.
Legal challenges against the ban were quickly filed after airport officials detained dozens of travelers from the seven countries, as well as refugees seeking to enter the United States.
Protests were staged in cities across the United States and abroad.
A federal judge in Seattle, James Robart, suspends the ban nationwide after two US states asked for it to be overturned on grounds of religious discrimination and that it had caused "irreparable harm."
In a tweet, Trump calls Robart a "so-called judge."
Travelers from the targeted countries with valid visas begin arriving on US soil once again.
In the early hours of February 5, a San Francisco-based federal appeals court rejects a Justice Department request to immediately restore the travel ban, schedules a hearing for both sides to present additional documents.
A panel of three judges hears arguments in a contentious hearing that focuses on whether to lift the lower court's stay immediately, rather than on the decree's constitutionality.
The Justice Department lawyer insists the president's action is justified by national security reasons and cannot be reviewed.
The federal appeals court refuses to restore Trump's controversial order, meaning the lower court's stay remains in place.
The court says the government has "not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal, nor has it shown that failure to enter a stay would cause irreparable injury."
The billionaire president vows a legal fight, writing on Twitter "SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!"
But the White House opts to produce a narrower decree that seeks to address the issues raised by the courts while reinstating most of the travel restrictions.
On March 6, Trump signs a new executive order, maintaining many key points of the previous version but removing Iraq from the list and explicitly stating that legal permanent residents and those with valid visas are also exempt.
The new order goes into effect on March 16.
The new order replaces a broader ban issued in the first days of Trump's presidency that was blocked by the federal courts after its chaotic introduction.
The revised decree, which will go into effect on March 16, drops Iraq from a list of targeted countries, exempts current visa holders and permanent US residents, and no longer blocks Syrian refugees indefinitely.
The original decree summarily denied entry to all refugees for 120 days, and travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. Refugees from Syria were blocked indefinitely.
Here are six key dates in the battle over the new administration's immigration restrictions:
Just one week after his inauguration, Trump unveiled his order on January 27 with no prior warning, sowing travel chaos and confusion, and igniting worldwide outrage.
Legal challenges against the ban were quickly filed after airport officials detained dozens of travelers from the seven countries, as well as refugees seeking to enter the United States.
Protests were staged in cities across the United States and abroad.
A federal judge in Seattle, James Robart, suspends the ban nationwide after two US states asked for it to be overturned on grounds of religious discrimination and that it had caused "irreparable harm."
In a tweet, Trump calls Robart a "so-called judge."
Travelers from the targeted countries with valid visas begin arriving on US soil once again.
In the early hours of February 5, a San Francisco-based federal appeals court rejects a Justice Department request to immediately restore the travel ban, schedules a hearing for both sides to present additional documents.
A panel of three judges hears arguments in a contentious hearing that focuses on whether to lift the lower court's stay immediately, rather than on the decree's constitutionality.
The Justice Department lawyer insists the president's action is justified by national security reasons and cannot be reviewed.
The federal appeals court refuses to restore Trump's controversial order, meaning the lower court's stay remains in place.
The court says the government has "not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal, nor has it shown that failure to enter a stay would cause irreparable injury."
The billionaire president vows a legal fight, writing on Twitter "SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!"
But the White House opts to produce a narrower decree that seeks to address the issues raised by the courts while reinstating most of the travel restrictions.
On March 6, Trump signs a new executive order, maintaining many key points of the previous version but removing Iraq from the list and explicitly stating that legal permanent residents and those with valid visas are also exempt.
The new order goes into effect on March 16.
