Republicans Protest the Implementation of Visa Restriction Law

Five Republican representatives in the U.S. Congress wrote a letter to Barack Obama protesting the implementation of the new visa restriction law and the consideration of exemptions for certain applicants. The new law came into effect on January 21. According to Reuters on Friday, February 9, Kevin McCarthy, the House Majority Leader, and four other representatives stated in their letter that the Department of Homeland Security, by considering these exemptions, effectively allows such applicants to bypass the regulations of the new law. The five protesting representatives added in their letter that 'these exemptions were not considered in the new law, violating the intent of Congress and undermining an agreement reached between representatives and the government.' The U.S. State Department implemented a new law on January 21, which requires citizens from 38 European countries, who were previously exempt from obtaining a visa for 90 days of entry into the U.S., to now apply for a visa before traveling. This law applies to European citizens who have traveled to Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Sudan after March 1, 2011. Citizens of these four countries with dual nationality must also apply for a visa to travel to the U.S. The new law was passed by Congress and signed by Barack Obama following the November attacks in Paris and a shooting at a welfare center in San Bernardino, California, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. The aim of the new law is to prevent citizens from these 38 countries, or those with dual nationality, from entering the U.S. without background checks. However, following the implementation of this law, several countries and human rights organizations protested it. Among them, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, called this law a 'violation of the JCPOA' or the Vienna nuclear agreement. Subsequently, John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, promised in a letter to Mr. Zarif that the new law would be implemented in a way that 'does not create any obstacles for Iran's legitimate economic interests.' The U.S. State Department then announced that it would consider exemptions for certain applicants, and the visa issuance process for government officials or humanitarian, journalistic, or 'legitimate business purposes' would be expedited. According to Reuters, the five protesting representatives stated in their letter to the Obama administration that the Department of Homeland Security is required to inform Congress every month about the details of visa applications, the precise specifications of applicants, their nationalities, and the reasons why the State Department expedited the visa process for such travelers. The letter also requests that the Obama administration provide Congress with emails and other documents that the State Department used to decide on these exemptions by February 12, about two weeks from now. This letter was signed by Kevin McCarthy, Michael McCaul, Bob Goodlatte, Edward Royce, and Candice Miller.