Old 'ban' in a new bottle

'Revised' travel ban draft targets the same countries, exempts those with Green Card or US visa

Protesters march in New York's Times Square in solidarity with American Muslims and against the travel ban ordered by US President Donald Trump. Pic/AFP

Washington: President Donald Trump's revised travel ban targets the same seven countries listed in his original executive order and exempts green card holders and those who already have a visa to travel to the US, even if they have not used it yet.

According to a senior White House official, the order will target only those same seven Muslim-majority nations – Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan and Libya. The President came up with a second order after federal courts held up his immigration and refugee ban. The order could come sometime this week.

The official said green card holders and dual citizens of the US and any of those countries were exempted. The new draft also no longer directs authorities to single out — and reject — Syrian refugees when processing new visa applications.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the version being circulated was a draft and the final version should be released soon.

Trump's original order triggered chaos at airports across the US, as travellers were detained when the order rapidly went into effect, US permanent residents, known as green card holders, among them. Attorneys provided legal assistance to those held.

The order temporarily suspended for 90 days all travel to the US for citizens of those seven countries.

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