Photo by Giorgio Montersino via Wikimedia Commons shows plane queue at JFK International Airport, known as Gateway to America
In compliance with a federal judge’s ruling on suspending enforcement of a travel ban order, the United States on Saturday began allowing in passengers from seven Muslim countries.
The Department of Homeland Security Saturday suspended “any and all actions” implementing the affected sections of Preisdent Donald Trump’s Executive Order on immigration, while the State Department said it was reversing revocation of U.S. visas.
The measures being halted include actions to suspend passenger system rules that flag travelers for operational action subject to the Executive Order, the Department of Homeland Security said.
“We have reversed the provisional revocation of visas under” Trump’s executive order, a State Department spokesman said Saturday, according to The Washington Post.
“Those individuals with visas that were not physically canceled may now travel if the visa is otherwise valid.”
However, there was no specific word on entry of refugees covered under the executive order.
The latest actions on Saturday in a statement following a Washington state judge’s ruling Seattle on halting implementation of the ban on entry of citizens from seven Muslim majority countries.
Meanwhile, reports said travelers in seven countries restricted under last week’s executive order were allowed to board US-bound planes.
“Visitors with a passport issued by 7 countries — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — and holding a valid immigrant or non-immigrant visa for the U.S. are again allowed to travel to the USA,” ” German airline Lufthansa said in a message to passengers.
In Washington, the DHS personnel will resume inspection of travelers in accordance with standard policy and procedure, the department said.
According to the statement, “at the earliest possible time, the Department of Justice intends to file an emergency stay of this order and defend the president’s Executive Order, which is lawful and appropriate.”
The order is intended to protect the homeland and the American people, and the president has no higher duty and responsibility than to do so, the statement added.
