Donald Trump ‘Muslim ban’ hailed by White House official as ‘massive success’ despite flight chaos and protests
A TOP Trump aide has hailed a travel ban on visitors to the US from seven Muslim-majority countries as a "massive success story".
An administration official said the order, panned by critics as un-American, had been implemented "seamlessly and with extraordinary professionalism".
Trump signed an order at the Pentagon on Friday halting entry to the US for travellers from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen for three months. A Syrian refugee programme was also postponed.
The President's executive action — an attempt to "weed out" Islamic terrorists sneaking into the country posing as immigrants or refugees — comes as new "extreme vetting" procedures are rolled out.
"It really is a massive success story in terms of implementation on every single level," the anonymous official told reporters.
But it has sparked demonstrations across the US, while Hollywood stars slammed the travel ban at the SAG Awards last night.
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Some senior figures in Trump's own party have also lashed out.
Republican Senator John McCain called the ban "confusing", adding that it would "become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism".
Senator Bob Corker, chair of the foreign relations committee and a firm Trump supporter, said the White House should "immediately make appropriate revisions", especially for people who are already residents in the US.
And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, wept as he called the ban "un-American".
As of Monday morning 109 people have been detained of the 325,000 arriving in the United States since the order came into force.
In retaliation, Iraq's parliament has voted to ban US citizens entering the country, and Oscar-winning Iranian filmmaker Ashghar Farhadi has said he will boycott this year's ceremony next month.
The aide's comments come as airlines revealed they began turning away banned travellers at the weekend.
Air France blocked 15 passengers from boarding flights to the US as the order came into force.
Passengers were told they would be refused entry on arrival because they are citizens from the blacklisted Muslim-majority countries.
In the UK over a million people have signed a petition to block Trump from making a state visit later this year after Theresa May offered an invitation at a landmark meeting between the two leaders on Friday.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also said Trump should not be received by the Queen until he rethinks "his shameful and cruel ban on immigrants and refugees from certain countries".
But the Government has so far rejected cancelling the invite. A Downing Street source told the BBC such a move would "undo everything" after what was considered a successful trip to the White House last week.
Trump has defended his ";extreme vetting" order, insisting it is “not a Muslim ban” and that his predecessor did the same thing in 2011.
A White House statement published on Sunday read: "America is a proud nation of immigrants and we will continue to show compassion to those fleeing oppression, but we will do so while protecting our own citizens and border.
"America has always been the land of the free and home of the brave.
"This is not about religion, this is about terror and keeping our country safe."
He also stressed that the seven countries targeted by his ban were also listed by Obama.
The previous US President paused the approval of refugee applications from Iraq for six months in 2011 after two Iraqi al-Qaeda terrorists were found living as refugees in Kentucky.
Obama's order selected Iraqi nationals based on geography and a specific event.
Trump has also defended his move on Twitter.
He tweeted: "Our country needs strong borders and extreme vetting, NOW.
"Look what is happening all over Europe and, indeed, the world - a horrible mess!"
A couple of hours later he posted: "Christians in the Middle-East have been executed in large numbers.
"We cannot allow this horror to continue!"
On Monday morning he rejected accusations that his ban had caused travel chaos, saying system problems on Delta Airlines and disruption caused by protests were to blame.
Q&A - Trump's travel ban
Which countries does the ban apply to and for how long? Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are blocked from entering the US for 90 days. All refugees are banned for 120 days and Syrian refugees are banned indefinitely.
Why has President Trump brought in the ban? He wants to step up “extreme vetting” in a bid to stop terrorists entering the US. His executive order was titled: “Protecting the nation from foreign terrorist entry into the United States.”
What if you are British and have dual nationality with one of the seven banned nations? If you are travelling from Britain as a UK dual national, there is no restriction on you entering the US. If you are travelling from one of the countries affected, you may experience extra checks if a dual national, but you are not banned.
What if I was born in one of the banned countries, or travelling to the US from there? If you are a UK national, the order still does not apply to you.
Haven’t US judges stopped the ban? Judges imposed a temporary stay on those detained at US airports — allowing them to enter the country. But the rulings only affected people who had already arrived in the US or were in flight when the executive order was signed. What power does an executive order have? An order made by the US President at the stroke of a pen, without having to seek the approval of Congress, has the force of law.
Who drew up the banning order? Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was asked by President Trump to draft up the order as a way of “legally” imposing a "Muslim ban". President Trump had promised a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the US while running for the White House.
Will it become law? It remains to be seen what legal restrictions will be imposed after the 90-day and 120-day bans expire.
What is Britain’s position? PM Theresa May has ordered Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Amber Rudd to raise concerns about the ban, leading to a clarification. Boris Johnson tweeted it was “divisive and wrong”.
The UK government was pressured into getting assurances from the Trump team over fears British citizens with dual nationalities with banned countries would be barred from entering.
Sir Mo Farah, who was born in Somalia, was told last night he could safely return to his family in America after Boris Johnson received "clarification" from US officials.
The four-time Olympic champion blasted The Donald’s reforms, branding them “divisive and discriminatory”.
A spokesman for the long-distance runner said: “We understand from the statement released this evening by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that the executive order will not apply to Mo, and we are grateful to the FCO for urgently clarifying the situation.
“Mo is relieved that he will be able to return to his family once his current training camp concludes.”
But dual-nationality citizens were warned they will still face further checks and longer waits at the US border.
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