Hawaii Plans to Challenge Trump's New Immigration Order

The state of Hawaii says it is working to temporarily suspend Donald Trump's new immigration order, which prevents citizens from Iran and five other countries from entering the United States. Mr. Trump issued the new immigration order on March 6, following legal battles between the government and federal courts in the United States, which temporarily halts the issuance of visas and entry for citizens of Iran and five other predominantly Muslim countries for a period of 90 days. Unlike the order issued on January 27, this new order does not include Iraq and also considers exceptions for visa issuance. Furthermore, it does not prevent the residency of citizens who currently hold valid U.S. visas. However, the attorney general of Hawaii has described it as 'still a ban on Muslim entry' in a new version. Doug Chin, Hawaii's attorney general, stated that this order 'targets immigrants and refugees under the pretext of national security and opens the door for further restrictions.' Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized that the purpose of the immigration order is to protect the security of the U.S. and its people, asserting that Muslims are not the target of his order since citizens from dozens of other Muslim-majority countries are not banned. The U.S. Department of Justice has also stated, 'We are confident that the President's action is legal and aimed at preserving national security and our country.' Yesterday, several Republican representatives defended Mr. Trump's new order. However, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander stated that its implementation should only last until the review process and necessary reforms in visa issuance are completed. Meanwhile, several senior Democratic representatives, who are in the minority in Congress, have criticized the new order. For example, Nancy Pelosi, the leader of this party in the House of Representatives, stated, 'The new form that the Trump administration has given to the immigration order has made no change in its unethical and illegal aspects, nor in its dangerous goal of preventing the entry of Muslims and refugees.' The initial order by Mr. Trump was unveiled in early January during a relatively large ceremony. In mid-January, a federal court in Washington suspended it, and its implementation was halted until the issuance of the new order. The new order was unveiled in the presence of the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General of the United States.