Trump Executive Order on Refugees and Travel Ban: A Brief Review

On January 27, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order that indefinitely suspends the resettlement of Syrian refugees, pauses the overall refugee resettlement program, and temporarily bars noncitizens from seven majority-Muslim nations from entering the United States. The “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” executive order has been the subject of numerous legal challenges.

This brief, presented in an easy-to-reference side-by-side chart, outlines the key provisions in the executive order and compares them to current and prior policy and practice, providing context where relevant.

The original executive order was later rescinded and superseded by a revised one. For an MPI analysis of the revised executive order and accompanying guidance, click here.