The ban on travelers from Muslim-majority or Arab countries is expected to be reinstated based on an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump.
U.S. civil rights groups have expressed such fears. Trump was sworn in for a second term as President of the United States on Monday. On the day he took office, he signed several executive orders.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), an anti-discrimination group against people of Arab descent, said Trump imposed a travel ban in 2017. The new order relies on the laws and regulations that were followed to justify it. Under the new order, the scope for denial of visa-related requests and removal of people who have already entered the United States will be widened.
The ADC has launched a new 24-hour hotline to assist the affected people.
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) said Trump’s executive order to protect the United States from foreign terrorists, other national security and public safety threats would separate American families from loved ones. The enrollment rate at US universities will also decrease.
Trump signed the executive order on Monday. It gives top U.S. justice, intelligence and homeland officials 60 days to respond. Countries whose verification and search procedures are ‘flawed’ should be identified within this period. This process will be carried out to issue a partial or complete suspension on the entry of citizens of those countries into the United States.
In 2017, when Trump took office in his first term as president, he banned travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries. The new order is more comprehensive.
According to the new order, people who harbor hostile attitudes toward U.S. citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding policies will be denied visas or entry into the United States.