Trump administration readies new order to replace travel ban: Wall Street Journal

This article is more than 12 months old

Sep 23, 2017 06:00 am

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is preparing to replace its controversial travel ban with a new order tailored on a country-by-country basis but affecting slightly more than the six nations now targeted, the Wall Street Journal said yesterday.

The new rules would not have a stated end date, with countries facing the potential of being added or removed from the list at any time, according to the Journal, which cited people familiar with the process.

The Department of Homeland Security's plan would replace US President Donald Trump's earlier executive order that banned travellers from six Muslim-majority countries and limited refugee admissions.

The March 6 order suspended travel for people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days and locked out most aspiring refugees for 120 days. That ban, which took effect in June, expires tomorrow, while the refugee ban expires on Oct. 24.

"The Trump administration will ensure we only admit those who can be properly vetted and will not pose a threat to national security or public safety," a White House official said when asked about the Journal's story.

The Journal's report said it was not immediately clear which countries would be affected by the latest restrictions, which Mr Trump could reject or modify. - REUTERS