WASHINGTON, United States (Reuters) — Immigrant and refugee advocates on Wednesday (January 25) denounced White House plans to temporarily stop receiving refugees and suspend visas for people from seven Middle Eastern and North African countries, saying they target Muslims and will make America less safe.
Protesters marched and rallied outside the White House denounced the Trump administration’s plan to to enact the new immigration policies.
A draft executive order seen by Reuters that Trump is expected to sign in the coming days would block the entry of refugees from war-torn Syria and suspend the entry of any immigrants from Muslim-majority Middle Eastern and African countries Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Libya and Yemen while permanent rules are studied.
Trump is also expected to order a multi-month ban on allowing refugees into the United States except for religious minorities escaping persecution, until more aggressive vetting is in place, said the aides and experts, who asked not to be identified.
The administration’s aim is to head off Islamist violence in the United States, but critics say the measures soil America’s reputation as a welcoming place for immigrants of all kinds.
Protesters near the White House chanted “say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here” during rush our to protest the proposed immigration restrictions.
Before his Nov. 8 election victory, Trump, a Republican, pledged to stop taking refugees from Syria and immigrants from countries deemed to pose a terrorism risk.
During the campaign, Trump originally proposed a ban on all Muslims entering the country, a measure that almost certainly would have faced legal challenges for discrimination on the basis of religion. He later altered his stance to target countries known to be sources of terrorism.
