US travel ban takes effect with few exceptions for relatives
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s ban on refugees and travellers from six mainly Muslim countries went into effect late Thursday, after a Supreme Court decision allowed it to go forward following a five-month battle with rights groups.
The Trump administration says the temporary ban is necessary to block terrorists from entering the country, but immigrant advocates charge that it illegally singles out Muslims.
The 90- day ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and a 120- day ban on refugees, will allow exceptions for people with “close family relationships” in the United States.
But activists said the government has defined that too narrowly, excluding relationships with grandparents and grandchildren, aunts and uncles and others.
And many were concerned about a possibly chaotic rollout of enforcement of the ban, like that in January when it was fi rst announced.
Immigration rights activists and lawyers were waiting to help arrivals at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and other airports to be sure those from the six countries with valid US visas were allowed in after the ban went into effect at 8pm Thursday Eastern time (0000 GMT Friday).
The Department of Homeland Security, which was heavily criticized for mishandling many arrivals when the ban was first attempted in January, promised a smooth rollout this time.
It stressed that anyone with a valid visa issued before the ban begins would still be admitted, and that all authorized refugees booked for travel before July 6 will also be allowed.
“We expect business as usual at the ports of entry starting at 8pm tonight,” said a DHS official. — AFP