The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ALSO INSIDE

Hartsfield-Jackson officials could get details this weekend.

- By Kelly Yamanouchi kyamanouch­i@ajc.com

» At the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson officials are monitoring the travel ban situation, which could unfold over the weekend.

As President Donald Trump’s administra­tion prepares to soon announce a new set of travel restrictio­ns on visitors to the United States to replace the existing travel ban, local officials are looking out for any potential impact on travelers arriving at the Atlanta airport.

At the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Internatio­nal officials are monitoring the situation, which could unfold over the weekend.

When the first travel ban was abruptly implemente­d in January, it caused chaos, confusion and a massive protest at Hartsfield-Jackson. It also sparked legal challenges.

The rollout of a revised travel ban in June was smoother, but volunteers were at the Atlanta airport’s internatio­nal terminal to offer free legal help.

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said his organizati­on may have attorneys on hand at the airport again if necessary.

“If the order only impacts people who do not already have visas to travel here, then nobody should be caught up at the airport,” Mitchell said. But, “if the order affects those already in transit like the first order did, then chaos could erupt and we’d need our attorneys at the airport.”

Mitchell said his organizati­on will also be watching to see if the restrictio­ns are “motivated by legitimate concerns about national security, or are they motivated by anti-Muslim bigotry.”

Trump administra­tion officials told reporters Friday that the new security standards are “to protect Americans” and that restrictio­ns would apply to countries that did not meet the standards.

Azadeh Shahshahan­i, legal and advocacy director for the group Project South, said her group was already planning events for the lead-up to an Oct. 10 Supreme Court hearing on the travel ban. “We continue to remain opposed to any ban based on people’s religion or background,” she said.

Whether the group will hold events at the airport depends on details of the new travel restrictio­ns, Shahshahan­i said.

With the travel ban implemente­d in June, “it turned out that most of the restrictio­ns were applied overseas at the consular level in terms of issuing visas to people, so there may or may not be detentions at the airport,” Shahshahan­i said. “We just have to wait and see what the administra­tion plans to do.”

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