U.S. President Donald Trump will sign several executive orders on Wednesday restricting immigration from Syria and six other Middle Eastern or African countries, according to two administration officials and several congressional aides briefed on the matter.
Trump’s orders will to involve restricting access to the United States for refugees and some visa holders from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, said the aides and experts, who asked not to be identified.
The executive orders will also involve taking steps on his proposed wall on the Mexican border at the Department of Homeland Security.
The president alluded to his expected actions on Twitter on Tuesday night, writing: “Big day planned on national security tomorrow. Among many other things, we will build the wall!”
The restrictions on refugees are likely to include a multi-month ban on admissions from all countries until the state and homeland security departments can make the vetting process more rigorous. The US already has one of the most rigorous vetting processes in the world, and it can take up to two years of interviews and background checks for a person to gain admittance.
There is also likely to be an exception in the refugee stoppage for those fleeing religious persecution if their religion is a minority in their country, a person briefed on the proposal said. That exception could cover Christians fleeing Muslim-majority nations.
While the specific of Trump’s orders were unclear, two administration officials said Wednesday’s actions would focus in part on the president’s plans to construct a wall along the southern border with Mexico. Trump has insisted that Mexico will pay for the way,, which the Mexican government has repeatedly rejected.
Earlier this month, Trump said the building project would initially be paid for by taxpayers, with a congressionally approved spending bill, and Mexico will eventually reimburse the US, though he has not specified how he would guarantee payments. Trump will meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto at the White House next week.
In claiming authority to build a wall, Trump may rely on a 2006 law that authorized several hundred miles of fencing along the 2,000-mile frontier. That bill led to the construction of about 700 miles of various kinds of fencing designed to block both vehicles and pedestrians. The Secure Fence Act was signed by George W Bush, and the last remnants were completed after Barack Obama took office in 2009.