United States President Donald Trump may replace his travel ban on people from six Muslim- majority countries with stricter, tailor-made restrictions, Reuters reported on Saturday. The travel order, which came into effect on June 30, bars visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the country.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke has given Trump some recommendations but he has not yet made a decision, United States officials said. Duke’s counselor Miles Taylor said that she recommended “actions that are tough and that are tailored, including travel restrictions and enhanced screening for certain countries.” There is no real clarity yet on which countries would be affected. White House spokesperson Raj Shah said that a presidential proclamation would set out the new policy soon.
Trump’s tweet following the explosion of a crude bomb in London last week was probably a hint at what the future could hold, some reports said. Trump had tweeted, “The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific.”
The ban was scaled back since it was first implemented, and blocked by courts, in January. There were massive protests and a lot of confusion at US airports when Trump put the first ban in place, mostly because immigration officers were not allowing anyone in from certain countries, even those with legitimate reasons, even green cards and residence permits.
Trump has insisted the ban is to protect the US from terrorism and to allow immigration officials to vet those entering the US more closely, but this has been seen as part of a separate agenda. While campaigning for the presidency, Trump had called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims” entering the US.
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