U.S. President Donald Trump was unrepentant on Sunday as protests grew over the executive order to suspend immigration and refugee entry from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days, and a wider ban on refugees from Syria for 120 days.
Confusion reigned over the weekend on an order that appeared to block green card holders as well — an order that was not legally defensible — and in fact the White House had walked it back by Sunday morning.
People who hold United States “green cards” – documentation of residency status – will require additional screening to re-enter the country, the White House said.
“You will be allowed to re-enter the United States pending a routine re-screening,” said a White House official who spoke with Reuters. The same was said to be true of foreign nationals who are dual citizens.
American-born citizens who are dual nationals, and Canadian-born dual nationals were told they would be cleared for entry with no additional screening necessary.
Moreover, President Trump told media later in the day that the U.S. would issue visas to all countries once secure policies are in place.
But he was adamant about the misinterpretation that seemed rampant in the media, claiming he was imposing a “ban on Muslims.”
“To be clear, this is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting,” President Trump said in a statement.
“This is not about religion – this is about terror and keeping our country safe. There are over 40 different countries worldwide that are majority Muslim that are not affected by this order.
“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,” he added.