US visas to six Muslim nations drop after Supreme Court backs travel ban

WASHINGTON: In the first two months after a June Supreme Court ruling allowed partial implementation of President Donald Trump’s travel ban, visas issued on average each month to citizens of six countries targeted by the order were 18 per cent lower compared to the month prior to the ban, a Reuters analysis of government data shows.

The 3,268 visas issued in July and 3,884 visas issued in August to citizens of the six majorityMuslim countries were down from 4,351 issued in June. The July figure was lower than the monthly average at any point since 2007, when an average of 3,080 visas per month were issued to those countries.

The lower July and August numbers were especially noteworthy, immigration attorneys say, because a larger number of visas are typically issued in the summer months, as foreign students prepare to arrive in the United States for the fall semester.

“We are processing visa applications for nationals of the six affected countries as directed by the executive order and to the extent permitted by court decisions,” a State Department official said on condition of anonymity when asked about the lower numbers.

The decline comes on top of already plummeting figures for US visas issued to citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen after Trump issued an executive order in late January halting entry of travelers from those countries for 90 days. — AFP