April 10, 2018

Dear Community Members,

Today, the Supreme Court issued a decision on the Muslim Ban (‘Muslim Ban 3.0’) that allows the Ban to take full effect. This is the first time a court has allowed the Muslim Ban’s implementation in its entirety. Today’s development has raised numerous concerns and questions, which have been addressed below. This information is subject to change based on the various legal challenges that may be advanced in court. The interpretations below can change quickly and will be updated should that happen.

Timing
As of this afternoon, there is no longer anything preventing the Trump Administration from implementing the Muslim Ban immediately.

Who Will Be Impacted?
Certain nationals of eight countries – Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. Please see below for a list of how certain nationals from each country will be impacted.

Chad, Libya, and Yemen: All immigrant visas and nonimmigrant business (B-1), tourist (B-2), and business/tourist (B-1/B-2) visas are suspended from entering the U.S.

Iran: Immigrant and nonimmigrant entry will be suspended for Iranian nationals except for individuals with a student visa (F Visa), exchange program visa (J Visa) or vocational visa (M Visa). Individuals with an F, J, or M visas will be subject to enhanced screening.

Somalia: Immigrant visas are suspended for Somali nationals. Non-immigrant visas are permitted but will be subjected to heightened screening.

Syria and North Korea: All immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the U.S. is suspended.

Venezuela: Government officials and immediate family members of individuals involved in Venezuela’s screening and vetting procedures cannot enter on non-immigrants business (B-1), tourist (B-2) and business/tourist (B-1/B-2) visas. Nationals of Venezuela who are visa holders are subject to additional measures.

Note:  An immigrant visa allows foreign nationals to come to the U.S. to get a green card and reside in the U.S. permanently.  A non-immigrant visa is a temporary visa issued to a foreign national for a particular purpose such as tourism, business, or study.

Who is NOT Impacted

  • Citizens and Green Card holders
  • Individuals with two passports – dual nationals – if they are traveling using a passport from a country not included on the above list
  • Any foreign national who has been granted asylum in the United States
  • Any refugee who has already been admitted to the United States
  • Any individual who has been granted withholding of removal, advance parole, or protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT)

How To Get Legal Help?
Contact CAIR-LA’s legal number at 714-776-1177 if you or someone you know is impacted by the latest version of the Muslim Ban. If you have an urgent issue with a family member arriving within the next 24 hours at LAX and are calling after hours then call 714-801-0303.

You can click here to register your travel with CAIR-LA. To request a “Know Your Rights” presentation you can click here.

We remain committed to challenging this Ban and protecting the communities we serve. Please do not hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,

Farida Chehata – CAIR-LA’s Immigrants’ Rights Center Managing Attorney
Masih Fouladi – CAIR-LA’s Advocacy Manager