Trump Signs New Executive Order Barring Travelers from Six Muslim Countries

President Donald Trump signed a new executive order Monday that will impose a ban on travelers from six largely Muslim countries. The six nations are Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Iraq, which was on the original list of countries, was removed at the suggestion of State and Defense department officials.

The order is expected to go into effect on March 16, which will allow officials to prepare for the changes.

The original executive order created chaos for thousands of travelers and was eventually blocked by a federal judge.

“The vast majority of individuals convicted of terrorism and terrorism-related offenses since 9/11 came here from outside of our country,” the president said in his address to Congress last week.

“We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside America,” he said during the speech, adding that the United States “cannot allow our nation to become a sanctuary for extremists.”

The new order excludes individuals with green cards and valid U.S. visas.

The order also suspends the United States’ refugee program for 120 days and brings the total number of refugees accepted by the country down to 50,000 a year.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)