Visa issuance to resume after 90 days; no "Muslim ban," Trump says

In the wake of domestic and international condemnation of Friday's executive order, US President Donald Trump released a statement Sunday insisting that "the media is falsely reporting" that there is a "Muslim ban." "This is about terror and keeping our country safe," Trump said of his decision to implement "extreme vetting" of people from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

"We will again be issuing visas to all countries once we are sure we have reviewed and implemented the most secure policies over the next 90 days," the president said. "I have tremendous feeling for the people involved in this horrific humanitarian crisis in Syria." Trump defended his executive order by pointing out that it was under the Obama Administration that those seven countries first came under scrutiny.

"America has always been the land of the free and home of the brave. We will keep it free and keep it safe, as the media knows, but refuses to say. My policy is similar to what President Obama did in 2011 when he banned visas for refugees from Iraq for six months," he said

Source: KUNA