Trump signs revised immigration ban that allows Iraqis, softens stance on Syrians

The White House sought to justify the hurried rollout of the initial travel ban on national security grounds, but deliberately delayed the release of the new order because of positive reception to the president’s speech last Tuesday.

A flag flies over the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 1.

Unlike the original executive order from January 27 that now sits in legal limbo, Iraq is the one country excluded from the 90-day ban, the official said, because the Iraqi government has made “firm commitments” to the U.S.to work toward increased cooperation in terms of information-sharing.

The new order also shows how the president has the full authority under the Constitution and the laws to curb the inflow of refugees, despite opposition form U.S-based Islamic groups, judges, progressives and Democratic party legislators.

“Then people that want to do bad things to Americans just move up their travel date two days in order to get in the country before the grace period’s over”, Priebus said at the time.

Monday’s order also removes a provision indefinitely barring Syrian refugees from the U.S. Also removed is language giving preference to “religious minorities”, a provision that had been widely seen as an attempt to follow through on Trump’s promise to prioritize Christian refugees.

Conway told Fox News that the order would take effect on March 16.

During a weekend escape to his Mar-a-Lago retreat, Trump dined Saturday with Atty. Gen.

Trump was criticized for a lack of consultation with federal agencies and there was a dispute between the Department of Homeland Security and the White House over whether the order included green card holders. Iraq has been removed from the original list at the urging of the Pentagon and State Department.

What is different about the new order?

His administration insisted that the new policy would not end the court battle. His legal team, however, made the case that the first one had to be revoked and he reluctantly chose to defer to them, the source said. Once the program resumes, only 50,000 refugees will be allowed in during the fiscal year 2017 – down from the 110,000 accepted last year by Barack Obama’s administration.

The new order also details categories of people eligible to enter the United States for business or medical travel purposes.

Trump also said in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network on the day the first order was issued that it was meant to help Christian Syrians.

Despite widespread belief the first order was done in haste, Trump and other White House officials have repeatedly called it a success. They have called for preserving longstanding US values of welcome, tolerance, and inclusion.

Watch a live stream of the discussion of the new order below. Still, it is a standard that has nothing to do with religion per se, and it is probably enough to satisfy any court that gives the president the benefit of the doubt when he claims to be protecting national security, as courts tend to do.