Do the Trump Team’s New Rules for Vetting Visitors Target Muslims?

The revised ban on travel and immigration from six Muslim-majority countries ordered by President Donald Trump on March 6 now sits before the Supreme Court, waiting for a final decision on its legality. However, the court’s decision in June to reinstate the executive order until a decision is made – except in cases where the individual has “a credible or bona fide relationship” with a U.S. person or entity – has led to a rolling implementation of some of the order’s restrictions.

The cable circulated by the State Department to U.S. consulates on July 12 revealed how some of these restrictions may begin to affect visa applicants. The new State Department guidelines – set to be implemented within 50 days – form part of the so-called “extreme vetting” procedures that the Trump Administration has promised to secure the U.S. against terrorist infiltrators. From biometric passports to new biographical information requirements for applicants from certain countries, these guidelines join a number of other measures, which are gradually restricting travel and immigration into the United States.