Immigration lawyers are warning that in his rush to ban Muslims. President Donald Trump’s Executive Order also contained language that shut down all tourism to the United States.
Politico reported on a section of Trump’s Muslim ban that immigration lawyers warn has major consequences:
But immigration lawyers who have read the order carefully are now increasingly concerned that one of its provisions could have much wider repercussions, affecting literally every foreign visitor to America, from tourists to diplomats.
The little-noticed section, appearing immediately after the travel ban, calls for the government to develop a “uniform screening standard and procedure” for all individuals seeking to enter the United States. As written, it appears to require all visitors to go through the same vetting measures, regardless of where they come from or how long they intend to stay.If interpreted as broadly as it’s written, “It would basically shut down tourism,” said Stephen Legomsky, the former chief counsel for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Obama administration.
Let’s give the Trump administration the benefit of the doubt and say that they were not trying to shut down all foreign tourism to the United States of America. What is left is an act of gross incompetence that is the result of an administration that like its president is focused on action and pays no attention to the details of what they are doing.
The Muslim ban Executive Order is such a mess that Congressional Republicans have to stop defending it, and must vote along with Democrats to overturn this ill-conceived executive action.
The broader picture of what the Muslim ban fiasco says about the competency of the new administration should trouble every American. The Trump administration is creating a crisis with their own actions. Imagine what is going happen when Trump is faced with a real crisis? It is impossible to fathom this administration putting together a competent response to a natural disaster or a terrorist attack.
It is time to stop pretending like there is some hidden intellect or master plan, and admit that the United States is being led by a man who has no idea what he is doing.
