Trump Likely To Toughen Rules For Immigrants From Some Muslim Countries

WASHINGTON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jan, 2017 ) : US President Donald Trump is gearing up to act on his election promises of tightening noose around illegal immigrants as part of an array of actions that will bring sweeping changes to the nation's immigration system.

Trump was scheduled to sign executive orders on Wednesday to enable construction of his proposed wall along the border with Mexico to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, a Washington Post report said.

The executive authority of the president allows actions that can be executed easily. Besides constructing the wall, Trump is also expected to announce measures to crackdown on cities which have promised to show defiance against his plan to deport illegal immigrants by providing them shelter and even legal support.

A more contentious action expected by Trump is to ban, or make it harder, for immigrants from Muslim countries where terrorism is a direct threat to American security. "The moves represent Trump's first effort to deliver on perhaps the signature issue that drove his presidential campaign: his belief that illegal immigration is out of control and threatening the country's safety and security," the report said.

Yet another harsh move that is expected out of the executive order is an indefinite shutdown of a programme that allows refugees from Syria to enter the United States. Quoting an unnamed administration office, the report said Trump might also order a temporary halt for 30 days to the issuance of visas to people from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Such a ban is likely to continue until a new visa procedures are laid down. "Trump may ask DHS and the director of National Intelligence to evaluate whether immigrants are being adequately screened for potential terrorist ties," the report said.

Trump's avowed reforms to the immigration system also include a programme called the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, known as DACA, introduced in 2012 by the Obama administration.

DACA gives temporary protection from deportation to hundreds of thousands of people, who arrived in the United States as children. Among his proposed measures, the most disputable was Trump's comments on Muslims.

At one point, during his election campaign, he even called for a complete halt to entering of all Muslims into the United States, comments that drew widespread criticism from within the country as well as many world leaders.

He also plans to introduce new tests for those applying for visas that include "extreme vetting" that is seen aimed at banning anyone who has persecuted people of other religions or engaged in so-called honour killing, violence against women or oppressed a member of one race, gender or sexual orientation, according to a summary of the plan, another media report said.