By President Donald Trump released a statement earlier today announcing that he will issue a new executive order “tailored” to work around a court decision that halted a controversial immigration ban issued late this January. The new immigration order will be released “sometime next week, toward the beginning or middle, at the latest,” Trump said.
In an effort to “comprehensively protect our country,” the new executive order will implement “extreme vetting.”
“The new executive order is being tailored to the decision we got down from the court,” Trump said, referring to the recent ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld Judge James Robart’s decision to block the executive order. It was originally written to ban immigrants, refugees and visa-holders from seven largely Muslim countries from entering the United States.
In an effort to “comprehensively protect our country,” the new executive order will implement “extreme vetting.”
While the similarities between the new executive order and the first that was struck down by the 9th Circuit of Appeals is yet to be seen, no substantial changes will undoubtedly provoke another string of litigations.
Currently, Trump is facing over 60 lawsuits, more than the past four presidents combined.
Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s national Immigrants’ Rights Project, said, “I think any type of ban is going to be legally problematic, and I also don’t think that the taint of religious discrimination is going to go away.”
A federal judge from Virginia agrees. In what was a striking blow to the administration, Judge Leonie Brinkema of Alexandria, Virginia ordered a preliminary injunction against the immigration ban, saying Trump’s order was motivated by “religious prejudice” towards Muslims rather than “national security concerns.”
Currently, Trump is facing over 60 lawsuits, more than the past four presidents combined.