“With the objective of maximizing national security, the Department of State will implement Executive Order “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” in an orderly fashion, consistent with the Supreme Court’s unanimous order, and in accordance with the Presidential Memorandum issued on June 14, which directs us to begin implementation 72 hours after the stay,” statement issued in Washington.
News Analysis |
The US State Department has ordered the implementation of the so-called “Muslim ban” on visitors from six Muslim countries after the US Supreme Court endorsed Trump’s controversial decision. The implementation began on Wednesday evening. The ban applies to ‘Muslim’ citizens from Iran, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen. President Donald Trump’s original order also applied to Iraq but it was later excluded. The order also interfered with the movement of refugees from Syria.
Read more: A comprehensive guide to Trump’s speech addressing the Muslim world
On Monday, the Supreme Court allowed parts of President Donald Trump’s travel ban to go into effect while agreeing to hear oral arguments on the case this fall. The court allowed the ban to go into effect for foreign nationals who lack any genuine relationship with any person or entity in the United States. Examples of formal relationships include students accepted to US universities and an employee who has accepted a job with a company in the US. The Department of State said it will provide additional details on implementation after consultation with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. “We will keep those traveling to the United States and partners in the travel industry informed as we implement the order,” it said.
“As President, I cannot allow people into our country who want to do us harm, … I want people who can love the United States and all of its citizens, and who will be hardworking and productive.” Donald Trump.
Shortly after taking office, Trump ordered the refugee ban and a travel ban affecting the six countries, plus Iraq. He said it was needed to protect the US from “terrorists”, but opponents said it was unfairly harsh and was intended to meet his campaign promise to keep Muslims out of the US. After a federal judge struck down the bans, Trump signed a revised order intended to overcome legal hurdles. The revised order excluded visa applicants from Iraq. The new order was also struck down by lower courts, but the Supreme Court’s action on Monday partially reinstated it.
Read more: Donald Trump confirms earlier stand on Muslim ban to the USA
“It also ignores the almost-unanimous rejection of the Muslim ban by lower courts due to its religious intolerance and racial animus,” Nihad, national executive director The Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, claimed the decision “ignores the Islamophobic origins of the policy” and emboldened Islamophobes in the Trump administration. Shortly after the court issued its opinion, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said on Twitter it would “head back into court to fight the fundamentally unconstitutional Muslim ban this October”.
“Courts have repeatedly blocked this indefensible and discriminatory ban. The Supreme Court now has a chance to permanently strike it down,” Omar Jadwat.
Omar Jadwat, the director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project who had argued the case in court, said in a statement that the travel ban “violates the fundamental constitutional principle that government cannot favor or disfavor any, one religion”.
Read more: Trump’s revised travel ban: What will be the court’s next ruling?
The fate of the refugees is another important issue, and there isn’t any structural solution, there’s nothing that can make a state accept refugees. But that’s a question that every American should ask himself or herself If they don’t take in those refugees, who are going to do it? And why do they think it’s reasonable to expect anyone else to do it if the Americans won’t. Right now there are millions of Syrian refugees in countries like Jordan and Turkey and Lebanon, and these are not countries that have caused this crisis in any way. They have no particular responsibility for these refugees, except for the fact that they’re next door. But there’s no reason to expect these countries to provide new homes for all of these refugees for the rest of their lives, and there’s no sign that this conflict will end anytime soon.
Read more: What does banning Immigration say about the US?
“We hope that the Supreme Court will ultimately uphold the ruling of Judges across the country and declare the travel ban unconstitutional and discriminatory in nature,” said Becca Heller, director of the International Refugee Assistance Project.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which has challenged the travel ban in court, said the “bona fide relationship” clause applies to most successful visa applicants from the six countries. The fate of the Muslims in the United States worsens and as protesters have started to rally together the unpredictable supporters are likely to be seen gathering aswell. this leaves the situation highly unstable and unpredictable and more can only be said as this proceeds and escalates.