US President Donald Trump is expected to sign
executive orders starting on Wednesday that include a temporary ban on most
refugees and a suspension of visas for citizens of Syria and six other Middle
Eastern and African countries, say congressional aides and immigration experts
briefed on the matter.
The president is expected to sign the first actions+ —
including the measure to jumpstart construction of the wall — during a trip to
the Department of Homeland Security. Additional actions will be rolled out over
the next few days, according to one official.
Trump, who tweeted that a "big day" was planned on national security
on Wednesday, is expected to ban for several months the entry of refugees into
the United States, except for religious minorities escaping persecution, until
more aggressive vetting is in place.
Another order will block visas being issued+ to anyone from
Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, said the aides and experts,
who asked not to be identified.
The current proposal+ includes at least a four-month halt on
all refugee admissions, as well as temporary ban on people coming from some
Muslim majority countries, according to a representative of a public policy
organization that monitors refugee issues. The person was briefed on the
details of that proposed action by a government official.
In his tweet late on Tuesday, Trump said: "Big day planned on NATIONAL
SECURITY tomorrow. Among many other things, we will build the wall!"
The border security measures probably include directing the construction of a
border wall with Mexico and other actions to cut the number of illegal
immigrants living in the United States.
The sources say the first of the orders will be signed on Wednesday. With Trump
considering measures to tighten border security, he could turn his attention to
the refugee issue later this week.
Stephen Legomsky, who was chief counsel at US Citizenship and Immigration
Services in the Obama administration, said the president had the authority to
limit refugee admissions and the issuance of visas to specific countries if the
administration determined it was in the public's interest.
From a legal standpoint, it would be exactly within his
legal rights," said Legomsky, a professor at Washington University School
of Law in St. Louis. "But from a policy standpoint, it would be terrible
idea because there is such an urgent humanitarian need right now for
refugees."
The Republican president, who took office last Friday, was expected to sign the
first of the orders at the Department of Homeland Security, whose
responsibilities include immigration and border security.
On the campaign trail, Trump initially proposed a temporary ban on Muslims
entering the United States, which he said would protect Americans from jihadist
attacks.
Both Trump and his nominee for attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions,
have since said they would focus the restrictions on countries whose migrants
could pose a threat, rather than a ban on those of a specific religion.
Many Trump supporters decried former President Barack Obama's decision to
increase the number of Syrian refugees admitted to the United States over fears
that those fleeing the country's civil war would carry out attacks.
Legal challenges possible
Detractors could launch legal challenges if all the countries subject to the
ban are Muslim-majority nations, said immigration expert Hiroshi Motomura at
UCLA School of Law.
Legal arguments could claim the executive orders discriminate against a
particular religion, which would be unconstitutional, he said. "His
comments during the campaign and a number of people on his team focused very
much on religion as the target," Motomura said.
To block entry from the designated countries, Trump is likely to tell the State
Department to stop issuing visas to people from those nations, according to
sources familiar with the visa process. He could also instruct US Customs and
Border Protection to stop any current visa holders from those countries from
entering the United States.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday the State and Homeland
Security Departments would work on the vetting process once Trump's nominee
to head the State Department, Rex Tillerson+ , is installed. Other measures may include directing all
agencies to finish work on a biometric identification system for non-citizens
entering and exiting the United States and a crackdown on immigrants
fraudulently receiving government benefits, according to the congressional
aides and immigration experts.
To restrict illegal immigration, Trump has promised to build a wall on the
US-Mexico border and to deport illegal migrants living inside the United
States.
Trump is also expected to take part in a ceremony installing his new secretary
of homeland security, retired Marine General John Kelly, on Wednesday.
Trump's insistence that Mexico would pay for the wall was
among his most popular proposals on the campaign trail, sparking enthusiastic
cheers at his raucous rallies. Mexico has repeatedly said it will not pay for
any border wall.
Earlier this month, Trump said the building project would
initially be paid for with a congressionally approved spending bill and Mexico
will eventually reimburse the US, though he has not specified how he would
guarantee payments.
Trump will meet with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at
the White House next week
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