WASHINGTON (AP) – The Latest on the end of the Trump administration’s refugee ban (all times EDT):
10:45 p.m.
Refugee admissions into the U.S. will resume under new, stricter screening rules, but nationals from 11 countries believed to pose higher risk to U.S. national security face even tougher scrutiny.
U.S. officials are refusing to identify the 11 countries, but say refugee applications from those nations will be judged case-by-case.
President Donald Trump issued his new order on refugee screening Tuesday as the administration’s four-month ban on refugee admissions expired.
Refugees already face an extensive backlog and waiting periods that can take years. Additional screening will likely lengthen the wait.
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6:10 p.m.
President Donald Trump is again allowing refugees to be processed for entry into the United States following the expiration of 120-day worldwide ban on such admissions.
But refugees who want to come to the U.S. will be subject to additional screening.
Trump has signed an executive order directing relevant government agencies to resume refugee processing. The administration says more in-depth review is needed for refugees from 11 countries believed to pose a higher risk to national security. That review period will last 90 days.
Administration officials would not identify the 11 countries, but they say refugee cases from those nations will be judged on a case-by-case basis.
The refugee restrictions come in addition to Trump’s broader “travel ban” on all immigrants from several countries. Courts have repeatedly blocked that policy.
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1:55 p.m.
The Supreme Court has dismissed a case about President Donald Trump’s 120-day worldwide ban on refugees now that the ban has expired.
The Trump administration is planning to unveil new screening procedures soon.
The justices’ order on Tuesday wipes away a lower court ruling that found problems with the refugee ban and a temporary pause on visitors from six mostly Muslim countries. A new travel policy that applies to six countries with Muslim majorities already has been blocked by lower courts.
The matter could return to the high court. But for now, the justices have stepped away the controversy without ruling on the legality of the administration’s actions.
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8:50 a.m.
President Donald Trump’s 120-day worldwide ban on refugees entering the United States is ending as his administration prepares to unveil new screening procedures.
A State Department official says the refugee suspension ended Tuesday, the date set in Trump’s executive order. The Homeland Security Department, the State Department and other U.S. agencies have been reviewing the screening process for those seeking to enter the country as refugees, in line with Trump’s “extreme vetting” policy for immigrants.
The official says new steps to “further intensify” screening procedures will be announced shortly. The official wasn’t authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity.
The refugee restrictions were in addition to Trump’s broader “travel ban” on all immigrants from several countries. Courts have repeatedly blocked that policy.
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