Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Syrian Refugees Indefinitely

President Trump signed on Friday an executive order which bans citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East from entering the United States for 90 days, and puts in place an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees.

From the New York Times:

The executive order suspends the entry of refugees into the United States for 120 days and directs officials to determine additional screening ”to ensure that those approved for refugee admission do not pose a threat to the security and welfare of the United States.”

The order also stops the admission of refugees from Syria indefinitely, and bars entry into the United States for 90 days from seven predominantly Muslim countries linked to concerns about terrorism. Those countries are Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Announcing his “extreme vetting” plan, the president invoked the specter of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Most of the 19 hijackers on the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pa., were from Saudi Arabia. The rest were from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Lebanon. None of those countries are on Mr. Trump’s visa ban list.

Human rights activists roundly condemned Mr. Trump’s actions, describing them as officially sanctioned religious persecution dressed up to look like an effort to make the United States safer.

Just to recap:

Banned by Trump's executive order: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia & Yemen

Hijackers on 9/11 were from: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE & Lebanon

So, while Trump invokes the history of 9/11, we aren't banning folks from the countries our attackers came from...?

Hint: Bloomberg News notes that Donald Trump has business dealings in several of the non-banned countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE.

Remind me again how Trump doesn't have conflicts of interest.

It's worth noting that a study of terrorist attacks on US soil between 1975 and 2015 conducted by the conservative-leaning Cato Institute concluded foreign nationals from the seven countries listed in the president's executive order have killed zero Americans.

According to Reuters, even folks who have been granted "green cards," making them permanent legal U.S. residents, will be affected by the ban if they are originally from one of the seven countries listed. If currently traveling outside the U.S., those folks from the banned countries - even with green cards - will not be able to get back home now.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

Except you. Not you. #MuslimBan pic.twitter.com/UN4G7v1roG

— Greg Hogben (@MyDaughtersArmy) January 28, 2017