Trump Signs Revised Travel Ban Executive Order

WASHINGTON (CBS/AP) – President Donald Trump signed a revised travel ban Monday that temporarily prevents people from six Muslim-majority countries who are seeking new visas from entering the United States.

Starting March 16, for 120 days, entry into the U.S. from Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Iran, and Somalia is banned, while the State Department takes a look at the vetting procedures.

The executive order, which was signed in private, drops Iraq from the list of banned countries and also suspends all refugee admissions for the next 120 days.

The new directive aims to address legal issues with the original order, which caused confusion at airports, sparked protests around the country and was ultimately blocked by federal courts.

The revised order is narrower and specifies that a 90-day ban on people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen does not apply to those who already have valid visas.

The order signed Monday covers current and prospective visa applicants from the six countries - which officials said have higher visa overstay rates than the worldwide average, according to CBS News. Legal permanent residents (green card holders) and naturalized citizens are not impacted by the order.

A Homeland Security official explained it this way to CBS:

• If you're in the U.S. on March 16 with a valid visa, the new order does not apply to you.
• If you have a valid visa by March 16, the new order does not apply to you.
• If your visa was revoked on January 27 (the start of the original order) because of the original executive order, you can still travel on that visa.

Administration officials insist this is not a Muslim ban and point out that hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide can come to the U.S. with valid documentation.

The old executive order prioritized admissions of religious minorities. This provision is not in the new order.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)