News Release from Jewell Stewart & Pratt – January 28, 2017 An Executive Order signed by President Trump on Friday, January 27, 2017 bans immigrant and nonimmigrant entries into the United States, for at least 90 days, by nationals of seven countries -- Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Other countries may be added to the list and adjudications of other immigration benefits could be affected.
The Executive Order also suspends the Visa Interview Waiver Program (VIWP). The VIWP allowed U.S. consular officers to waive interviews for certain applicants seeking to renew nonimmigrant visas in the same visa classification as their previously issued visa. All nonimmigrant visa applicants are now required to attend an interview unless an interview is, by statute, not required.
The Executive Order is already being challenged on legal and constitutional grounds. While it does not explicitly name Islam, it clearly targets Muslim-majority countries, raising legal and constitutional questions of due process, freedom of religion, discrimination, and the president’s authority over immigration in general.
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