Temporary Order Against the Executive Order Remains
On Friday, February 3, 2017, a federal court in Washington State issued a temporary order which prohibits the enforcement of certain provisions of the Executive Order signed by President Trump on January 27, 2017: refusal of entry of individuals from the seven countries; refusal of admission of refugees, including those from Syria; and allowing for prioritizing refugee claims based on certain religion.
On Tuesday, February 7, 2017, the government argued to an appeals court that the Executive Order should be implemented and that the temporary order issued by the federal court in Washington State should not be honored.
Just today, Thursday, February 9, 2017, the appeals court came back with a decision indicating that it was not convinced by the arguments of the government and the temporary order prohibiting the implementation of the Executive Order stands for the time being.
Therefore, according to the temporary order, individuals from the seven countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) with immigrant or nonimmigrant visas and refugees, including those from Syria, may enter the United States while the temporary order is valid. Please note that this is not the end. The government may seek an appeal or take other action to block the temporary order. The process continues; stay tuned!
Please note that the above information has been provided for educational purposes only and is current as of February 9, 2017 and is subject to change. Please consult Clark Lau LLC regarding your particulars and the latest in developments before making any travel plans.