Outrage and chaos has followed President Trump’s immigration ban executive order. While events are still unfolding, here is a summary of what’s happened so far.
The Immigration Ban
On Friday January 27th, Trump signed the executive order into action. The order blocks anyone entering the U.S. from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for 90 days. It also blocks all refugees from entering the country for the next 120 days. This includes people with green cards and visas that allow for legal residence in the United States. This ban isn’t limited to American airports, all American diplomatic outposts were alerted to halt the travel of persons from those counties and to stop processing visas from the seven countries as well. At least a hundred people were detained according to the New York Times and several have already been turned away and deported.
Judicial Action
Federal District Court Judge Ann M. Donnelly in Brooklyn blocked part of the executive order on Saturday evening. She ruled in the case of two Iraqi immigrants represented by the ACLU that the government couldn’t deport travelers that had been detained. Donnelly’s ruling is temporary, only affects the people currently detained in the U.S., and doesn’t require officials to release detainees. Three other rulings made by federal judges in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington have also blocked parts of the immigration ban.
The Response
The executive order garnered criticism from Democrats, the Iranian government, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and more. Outrage sparked protests around the country, many stationed at airports. On Sunday the 29th, protests took place at Portland, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Charlotte, Houston, L.A. and more. Lawyers across the country have volunteered their time to work with the detainees to provide council and work under the temporary stay granted.
Going Forward
There is likely to be more judicial action to come to determine if the executive order itself is unconstitutional. Currently there are several uncertainties in the order’s enforcement by airport personnel. The Department of Homeland Security has stated they will continue to enforce the ban and have the right to revoke visas but they will comply with judicial orders. Despite a court order, lawyers were not allowed access to detained persons at Dulles International by Customs agents as of Sunday. Additionally, the administration originally stated that each green card holder’s entry to the U.S. would be banned and then taken on a case-by-case basis. On Sunday, however, Trump’s chief of staff apparently backtracked and said that green card holders from the seven banned countries would be allowed entry. He added that border agents would be able to detain and question suspicious persons based on “discretionary authority”. No clarification for the definition of discretionary authority has been given.