Washington - President Donald Trump is
expected to sign executive orders starting on Wednesday that
include a temporary ban on most refugees and a suspension of
visas for citizens of Syria and six other Middle Eastern and
African countries, according to several congressional aides and
immigration experts briefed on the matter.
Trump, who tweeted on Tuesday night that a "big day" was
planned on national security on Wednesday, is expected to order
a multi-month ban on allowing refugees into the United States
except for religious minorities escaping persecution, until more
aggressive vetting is in place.
Another order will block visas being issued to anyone from
Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, said the
aides and experts, who asked not to be identified.
In his tweet late on Tuesday, Trump said: "Big day planned
on NATIONAL SECURITY tomorrow. Among many other things, we will
build the wall!"
Big day planned on NATIONAL SECURITY tomorrow. Among many other things, we will build the wall!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017
The border security measures likely include directing the
construction of a border wall with Mexico and other actions to
reduce the number of illegal immigrants living inside the United
States.
The sources have said the first of the orders will be signed
on Wednesday. With Trump considering measures to tighten border
security, he could turn his attention to the refugee issue later
this week.
Stephen Legomsky, who was chief counsel at US Citizenship
and Immigration Services in the Obama administration, said the
president had the authority to limit refugee admissions and the
issuance of visas to specific countries if the administration
determined it was in the public’s interest.
“From a legal standpoint, it would be exactly within his
legal rights,” said Legomsky, a professor at Washington
University School of Law in St. Louis. “But from a policy
standpoint, it would be terrible idea because there is such an
urgent humanitarian need right now for refugees.”
The Republican president, who took office last Friday, was
expected to sign the first of the orders at the Department of
Homeland Security, whose responsibilities include immigration
and border security.
On the campaign trail, Trump initially proposed a temporary
ban on Muslims entering the United States, which he said would
protect Americans from jihadist attacks.
Both Trump and his nominee for attorney general, US Senator Jeff Sessions, have since said they would focus the
restrictions on countries whose migrants could pose a threat,
rather than placing a ban on people who follow a specific
religion.
Many Trump supporters decried former President Barack
Obama's decision to increase the number of Syrian refugees
admitted to the United States over fears that those fleeing the
country's civil war would carry out attacks.
Detractors could launch legal challenges to the moves if all
the countries subject to the ban are Muslim-majority nations,
said immigration expert Hiroshi Motomura at UCLA School of Law.
Legal arguments could claim the executive orders discriminate
against a particular religion, which would be unconstitutional,
he said.
"His comments during the campaign and a number of people on
his team focused very much on religion as the target," Motomura
said.
To block entry from the designated countries, Trump is
likely to instruct the State Department to stop issuing visas to
people from those nations, according to sources familiar with
the visa process. He could also instruct US Customs and Border
Protection to stop any current visa holders from those countries
from entering the United States.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that the
State and Homeland Security Departments would work on the
vetting process once Trump's nominee to head the State
Department, Rex Tillerson, is installed.
Other measures may include directing all agencies to finish
work on a biometric identification system for non-citizens
entering and exiting the United States and a crackdown on
immigrants fraudulently receiving government benefits, according
to the congressional aides and immigration experts.
To restrict illegal immigration, Trump has promised to build
a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and to deport illegal migrants
living inside the United States.
Trump is also expected to take part in a ceremony installing
his new secretary of homeland security, retired Marine General
John Kelly, on Wednesday.