Tag: immigration ban

Trump slams US court ruling against immigration order as ‘ridiculous’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed as “ridiculous” a US judge’s ruling blocking an executive order that could deny billions of dollars to so-called sanctuary cities harboring illegal immigrants. Judge William Orrick of San Francisco’s federal court on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction barring any attempt to implement Trump’s January 25 executive order. “First the Ninth Circuit rules against the ban & now it hits again on sanctuary cities – […]

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Trump signs revised travel ban, exempts Iraqis

by Andrew BEATTY Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States – US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a revised ban on travelers from six Muslim-majority nations, scaling back the order to exempt Iraqis and permanent US residents. After his first wide-ranging and controversial restrictions were slapped down by the federal courts, Trump signed an order freezing new visas for Syrians, Iranians, Libyans, Somalis, Yemenis and Sudanese citizens. The White House said Trump signed the order behind […]

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US travel ‘extreme vetting’ to include social media, phone contacts

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries singled out for “extreme vetting” will face scrutiny of their social media footprint and phone records, the new Homeland Security secretary said Tuesday. Secretary John Kelly sought to explain President Donald Trump’s travel ban four days after he issued it with no warning, setting off mass protests, legal challenges and confusion. “There are many countries, seven that we are dealing with right now, that […]

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Trump faces wall of resistance to immigration order

  by Andrew BEATTY Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – US President Donald Trump has crushed the most defiant display yet of official opposition to his immigration and refugee restrictions — but resistance continued to spread Tuesday, inside and outside the government. Trump’s swift dismissal of acting attorney general Sally Yates for refusing to defend his executive orders capped a night of high drama, Washington-style, that drew comparisons with a flurry of urgent housekeeping […]

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UN chief takes aim at ‘blind measures’ in criticism of US travel ban

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday sharpened his criticism of the US ban on travellers from seven Muslim nations, saying such “blind measures” are unlikely to be effective in fighting terrorism. Guterres said countries seeking to strengthen control of their borders cannot do so “based on any form of discrimination related to religion, ethnicity or nationality.” Such discrimination “triggers widespread anxiety and anger that may facilitate the propaganda of the […]

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African Union mulls Morocco membership, Trump fallout

by Fran BLANDY Agence France-Presse ADDIS ADABA, Ethiopia (AFP) – African Union leaders grappled with Morocco’s divisive bid to rejoin the bloc at a summit Monday and sounded alarm for the continent over US President Donald Trump’s immigration ban. “The very country (where) our people were taken as slaves… has now decided to ban refugees from some of our countries,” outgoing AU Commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told some 37 heads of state and leaders from across […]

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