Travel Ban EO (E.O. 13780)

Summary

Stops people from six specific countries from entering the U.S. for a time to improve how the government checks visitors and refugees for safety.

What problem does this solve?

The government worried that its methods for checking people entering the country were not good enough to stop terrorists. This order pauses entry for some people so the government can create better and safer security checks.

What does this order do?

Suspends entry from six countries

Stops people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days. This is to give agencies time to review security screening.

Pauses the U.S. refugee program

Stops the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for 120 days. During this time, the government will review its process for checking refugees to make sure they are not a security threat.

Sets a new limit on refugees

Lowers the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. for the 2017 fiscal year to 50,000. The President can change this number later if it is in the national interest.

Revokes a previous executive order

Cancels and replaces Executive Order 13769, which was a similar order that had been stopped by courts. This new order makes changes to address legal concerns.

Starts a worldwide review of security checks

Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to review the information every country provides for visa applications. The goal is to find out what extra information is needed to keep the U.S. safe.

Creates a waiver process

Allows some people from the six banned countries to enter the U.S. if they can show that being denied entry would cause them great difficulty and that they are not a security threat.

Removes Iraq from the list of banned countries

Does not include Iraq in the list of countries whose citizens are banned from entry. The order states this is because of Iraq's cooperation with the U.S. in fighting ISIS.

Ends the visa interview waiver program

Requires almost all people applying for a nonimmigrant visa to have an in-person interview. This ends a program that allowed some people to skip this step.

Speeds up biometric entry-exit system

Orders the Secretary of Homeland Security to finish a system that uses biometrics, like fingerprints or face scans, to track when people enter and leave the U.S.

Requires public reports on terrorism

Directs the government to collect and publicly share information about foreign nationals in the U.S. who have been involved in terrorism-related crimes.

Who does this affect?

Nationals of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen
Refugees seeking admission to the United States
U.S. citizens and residents with family members from the affected countries

What is the real world impact?

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Targets specific countries based on religion

Faces criticism for unfairly targeting people from Muslim-majority countries. Opponents argue the ban is based on religion, not on real security risks, and call it a 'Muslim ban'.

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Fulfills a campaign promise

Acts on a key promise to take a tougher stance on immigration and border security. This move was intended to show decisive action on national security issues.

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Strengthens national security screening

Improves the way the government checks people who want to enter the United States. It creates a pause to review and strengthen security rules to prevent terrorists from coming into the country.

When does this start?

The order takes effect on March 16, 2017, and sets several deadlines for reviews and reports over the following months.

Worldwide review report

Within 20 days of the order's effective date, a report on the worldwide review of vetting information must be submitted to the President.

Entry suspension period

The ban on entry for nationals from the six specified countries lasts for 90 days from the order's effective date.

Refugee program suspension

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is paused for 120 days from the order's effective date to allow for a review of screening procedures.

Progress reports on implementation

Joint reports on the progress of implementing the order are due at 60, 90, 120, and 150 days after the effective date.

Biometric tracking system reports

Progress reports on the biometric entry-exit system are required within 100 days, 200 days, and 365 days of the effective date.

Public data report on terrorism

The first public report on terrorism-related offenses by foreign nationals must be released within 180 days of the effective date.