Silke Jasso
According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration will admit nearly 900 refugees to enter the United States this week, despite the president’s recent executive order on immigration.
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“BREAKING: US official says 872 refugees to be admitted to country because of hardship concerns, despite ban,” AP tweeted on Tuesday morning.
BREAKING: US official says 872 refugees to be admitted to country because of hardship concerns, despite ban.
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 31, 2017
Reuters allegedly gained access to an internal Department of Homeland Security document, which explained that the department, along with the State Department, has granted waivers to 872 refugees who were considered “in transit” and had been previously cleared to enter the country at the time Trump signed his executive order on Friday. The waivers follow a wave of protests over the weekend in regard to the order, which temporarily blocks travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries.
“The internal DHS document said that between late Friday and early Monday 348 visa holders were prevented from boarding U.S.-bound flights. In addition, more than 200 people landed in the United States but were denied entry, the document showed,” Reuters reported. “More than 735 people were pulled aside for questioning by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in airports, including 394 legal permanent U.S. residents holding green cards, over the same time period.”
The 872 refugees to be admitted were screened using the Obama administration’s procedures, which can take two years and require several interviews and a background check. The document did not provide the nationalities of the refugees, and it is unknown if additional waivers will be given.
