Iranian Citizens and Five Other Countries Banned from Entering the U.S. Under Trump's New Order

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, signed a new executive order on Monday, March 6, which temporarily bans citizens from six predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. His initial order, signed in January, was struck down by a court in Washington State and then by a court of appeals in San Francisco. According to the new order, the entry of citizens from Iran, Sudan, Libya, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen into the U.S. is banned for 90 days. Citizens from these six countries who are currently in the U.S. with valid visas can continue to stay. Those who hold U.S. green cards or have previously obtained visas are also exempt from the new ban. The new presidential order is set to take effect on March 15 and suspends the acceptance of refugees for 120 days. The order states that Iran has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984 and continues to support various terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and terrorist groups in Iraq. It adds that Iran has also supported al-Qaeda and allowed this group to send money and fighters through its territory to Syria and South Asia. Iran does not cooperate with the United States in the fight against terrorism. Iranian officials have consistently denied supporting terrorism. Meanwhile, Iraq, which was included in the first executive order, has been exempted from the new order. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling the removal of Iraq from the list of seven countries subject to the temporary entry ban a "significant step in the right direction for strategic unity between Baghdad and Washington." Four U.S. officials previously told the Associated Press that the decision to remove Iraq from this list came after "pressure from the U.S. Department of Defense and the State Department on the White House," arguing that Iraq plays a key role in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, told reporters after signing the order that the ban announced by the president is "a vital action to strengthen our security." He stated, "With this order, President Trump has used his legal authority to create security." Referring to Iraq's exemption from the entry ban, he said, "Iraq is one of our important allies in the fight to defeat the Islamic State, with brave soldiers fighting alongside American military men and women." Donald Trump issued his previous order on January 27, emphasizing that swift and immediate implementation of this order is necessary to "protect the American people from the entry of foreign terrorists." Shortly after the issuance of this order, widespread opposition arose against it, and several federal courts in various parts of the United States issued rulings against it. The Associated Press noted that the event for unveiling Trump's new executive order, attended by John Kelly, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Rex Tillerson, and Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General, was much less significant compared to the signing of the first executive order on immigration, which was very grand and noisy and held in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes. Even the White House spokesperson did not appear for a press conference in front of the cameras, fueling speculation that the president is trying to distance himself from the immigration issue, which was one of the key topics of his election campaign. Meanwhile, the new immigration order is likely to be overshadowed by a new controversy arising from Trump's claim regarding the wiretapping of his phone conversations ordered by Barack Obama. Officials from the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security said in a phone call to reporters that implementing this ban is necessary to better control travelers and refugees entering the country. The Associated Press quoted U.S. officials stating that currently, 300 individuals who entered the U.S. as refugees are under investigation in relation to anti-terrorism inquiries. They present these cases as evidence supporting the new immigration order, but despite repeated questions from reporters, they are unwilling to disclose how many of these individuals are from the six banned countries or how long they have been residing in the U.S. Additional information released by the U.S. government prior to the issuance of the new order indicates that new agreements have been reached with the Iraqi government regarding "increased cooperation in controlling the backgrounds of visa applicants and travelers to the U.S." This suggests that, given the negative experience of the initial order, which faced severe backlash and put significant pressure on U.S. ministries and agencies, efforts have been made to better prepare the implementation of the president's order this time. Trump administration officials state that despite the changes, the main goal of the new order remains the same as that stated in the initial order: to prevent the entry of individuals suspected of terrorist activities into the U.S. during a period when responsible agencies are reviewing the visa and refugee applicant control system from specific countries.