As a Miami immigration lawyer, I read with interest the announcement that President Trump signed a new executive order in regard to the Muslim and refugee ban. Below are some frequently asked questions.
What is the new executive order about?
Today President Trump took a second swing at his most controversial immigration policy: a temporary ban on allowing people from several majority-Muslim countries, and all refugees, from entering the US. If you have any questions in regard to this, you may want to speak with a Miami immigration attorney.
Are the countries with majority Muslim populations still on the “banned” list?
There are some changes. For 90 days, visas will not be issued to people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. In the original executive order, Iraq was also on the visa blacklist — but it’s been excluded in the new version. The new executive order also makes it clear that people from the six affected countries can apply for waivers to enter the US in particularly urgent circumstances. If you have any questions in regard to this, you may want to speak with a Miami immigration lawyer.
I am a green card/visa holder from one of these majority Muslim countries. Will this new executive order affect me?
No. The new executive order will not affect green card holders — or anyone else who already has a visa, either in the US or abroad. The new executive order won’t affect people — either permanent residents or temporary visa holders — who’ve already been admitted to the US. Furthermore, people who haven’t yet come to the US but who have been issued visas already will still be allowed to enter. This means the new order doesn’t authorize the widespread detention of people at airports, and barring of people from boarding US-bound flights, that marked the first executive order — though that doesn’t mean that Customs and Border Protection agents won’t continue to be aggressive in detaining immigrants entering the US. If you have any questions in regard to this, you may want to speak with a Miami immigration lawyer.
What about incoming refugees? What happens to them?
For 120 days, the US won’t bring any new refugees into the country. The new executive order reinstates a 120-day ban on refugee admissions. While the original executive order made an exception for refugees who were members of “persecuted religious minorities” in their home country, saying they could enter the US during the pause, the new order eliminates that loophole. After 120 days, though, refugees will be allowed to enter the US from any country — another change from the original executive order. If you have any questions in regard to this, you may want to speak with a Miami immigration lawyer.
Will this affect the immigration system in the future?
It may. The temporary bans will create space for permanent changes to the refugee and visa process. Like the original executive order, the new order directs the Department of Homeland Security to set new standards for how much information other countries will have to give the US when their citizens apply to come here. Countries that can’t meet that standard will be placed on a permanent blacklist, which will replace the 90-day one. Refugees will also be subject to those higher standards, and the US will accept only 50,000 refugees in the current fiscal year — half of what the government originally planned to accept under the quota set by the Obama administration last fall. If you have any questions in regard to this, you may want to speak with a Miami immigration lawyer.
I am not from one of the majority Muslim countries that are currently barred by Trump’s executive order, and would like to apply for my green card. Do you recommend that I do so?
If you are currently a visa holder and wish to reside permanently in the United States, I would highly recommend that you apply for your green card. A green card holder has more rights than a visa holder, and in this political climate, it is essential that you take all steps necessary in order to secure your immigration status.
If you would like more information on how to obtain U.S. citizenship, or how to obtain your green card, please contact Miami immigration lawyer Michael G. Murray, Esq. at (305) 895-2500 or visit our website at www.mmurraylaw.com.