On Jan. 27, the Trump administration issued an executive order (EO) that immediately affected the U.S. immigration system. This was the first of a series of executive actions that are reshaping the interpretation and application of U.S. immigration law.
The Jan. 27 EO banned travel to the United States for nationals of seven primarily Muslim countries and suspended the admission of refugees. Ambiguous terminology used in the EO was broadly interpreted by U.S. Department of State (DOS) consular officers abroad and by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Due to the apparent lack of advance departmental coordination for the implementation of the EO, chaos prevailed at U.S. ports of entry and international airports as travelers were refused admission or denied boarding of aircraft bound for the United States. A U.S. district court subsequently issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting enforcement of the travel ban and suspension of the refugee admissions program.
