While the Travel Ban has received the most press coverage over the last four months, there are other provisions of the Executive Order that contained the most recent version of the Travel Ban that  immigrants and international travelers need to know about. The Department of State Will Begin Collecting New Data on travelers to the United States. This increased scrutiny of international travelers could mean delays for visa applicants and increased chances for errors and complications.

Trump's Travel Ban 2.0

On January 27, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order stating that citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya would be banned from entering the United States. The order did not differentiate between visa holders, people with green cards or even dual citizens.

Lawyers in various jurisdictions filed lawsuits to stay the enforcement of the order. As the 9^th circuit court of appeals considered a lower court’s decision to stay execution of the order, the Trump administration asked the court to hold its ruling so that the administration could issue a new order that was more carefully considered.

The Houston Press recently ran the story of a Houston Chef who was detained for weeks after an international trip. The individual was a Permanent Resident, but was detained due to a misdemeanor assault charge. The government argued that he was not eligible for bond because he was returning from international travel - a technical legal issue many permanent residents are unaware of. Criminal charges (even those that are pled down to misdemeanor-level offenses or dismissed - can create problems for any non-U.S.-citizen who travels out of the country. It is important for anyone who wants to travel internationally to consult with an experienced, specialized immigration attorney before traveling internationally or even within 100 miles of an international border.