Trump executive order: White House stands firm over travel ban

US President Donald Trump's decision to halt all refugee admissions and temporarily bar people from seven Muslim-majority countries has sparked protests across the country, and drawn condemnation from the wider world. Others see the executive order as Mr Trump making good on election promises to "make America great again". But what is the order, dubbed the "Muslim ban" by those rallying against it, and who exactly does it affect? Here are some key points from the full text explained. What is happening? The order brings in a suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Programme for 120 days There is also an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees And anyone arriving from seven Muslim-majority countries - Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen - faces a 90-day visa suspension.

Some visa categories, such as diplomats and the UN, are not included in the suspension The order also introduces a cap of 50,000 refugees to be accepted in 2017, against a limit of 110,000 set by former President Barack Obama Priority will be given to religious minorities facing persecution in their countries. In an interview, Mr Trump singled out Christians in Syria A suspension of the Visa Interview Waiver Program, which allows consular officers to exempt some applicants from face-to-face interviews if they are seeking to renew their temporary visas within a year of expiry Exceptions could be made on a case-by-case basis Victims vent fury World reaction Order sows seeds of panic Who is affected by the ban? All travellers who have nationality or dual nationality of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are not permitted to enter the US for 90 days, or be issued an immigrant or non-immigrant visa. This includes those who share dual nationality with allied countries, including the UK, although Canada has been told its dual nationals are not affected. However, the UK foreign office put out a statement saying only those dual nationals travelling from one of the blacklisted seven countries might be subject to extra checks. It said those travelling from any other country to the US would not be affected and should not be subjected to any extra vetting, "regardless of your nationality or your place of birth". However, one Scottish veterinary student - who travels on an Iranian passport - was unable to fly home from her holiday in Costa Rica because she was told her transit visa for the US was no longer valid. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said US green-card holders - legal residents - would not be affected, although he admitted to NBC's Meet the Press programme that they could be subject to greater questioning at airports. How is it being implemented? There has been a lot of confusion and uncertainty. A federal judge issued a temporary halt to the deportation of visa holders or refugees stranded at US airports, after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a case in response to Mr Trump's executive order.

The group estimated that between 100 and 200 people were being detained at airports or in transit. The administration put the figure at 109 people Air passengers have been prevented from boarding US-bound flights. There were also reports of cabin crew who were barred from entering the country, but no figures were given Despite claims that green card holders (US permanent residents) from the seven countries will not be affected, officials have indicated that those overseas at the time of the order will have to be assessed on a case-by-case basis before being allowed back into the US, and extra screening might be required. Lawyers and advocacy groups have been advising green card holders in the US to postpone plans to travel abroad Image copyright Reuters Image caption Demonstrations against the order were held in Dallas and other US airports It is also not clear the impact the suspension of the Visa Interview Waiver Program would have on visa requests and consular services around the world. Experts said travellers might expect longer waiting times American citizens travelling to the seven countries could be detained for questioning as well in the future, Mr Trump's chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said. They are not included in the order, either. Is it legal? It appears not to be on the face of it. And the courts will certainly have to weigh some of the arguments of the parties. The US used to ban entrants from specific countries and entire regions. But in 1965, the US Congress passed the Immigration and Nationality Act which said that no person could be "discriminated against in the issuance of an immigrant visa because of the person's race, sex, nationality, place of birth or place of residence". So, the exclusion of all Syrians would be enough to challenge Mr Trump in court. The fact that they are all Muslim countries lends weight to the argument that the order is "anti-Muslim" - which Trump aides have been keen to dismiss. Supporters of Mr Trump's order mention the post-9/11 attacks and the ability of the administration to take measures to protect national security. And they cite the president's powers stemming from a 1952 law on "Inadmissible Aliens" to "suspend the entry" of "any class of aliens" that he finds are detrimental to the interest of the United States. They also suggest that US presidents can set aside the 1965 law. The most cited example is that of President Jimmy Carter who barred some Iranians during the 1980 crisis over 52 Americans being held hostage in Tehran. What did Trump say? Mr Trump said the halt on the refugee programme was needed to give government agencies time to develop a stricter vetting system and ensure that visas were not issued to individuals posing a national security threat.

"To be clear, this is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting," the President said in a statement released on Facebook. "This is not about religion - this is about terror and keeping our country safe. There are over 40 different countries worldwide that are majority Muslim that are not affected by this order. "We will again be issuing visas to all countries once we are sure we have reviewed and implemented the most secure policies over the next 90 days." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mr Trump's order has been strongly criticised by rights groups Syrians applying for resettlement in the US were already subject to a complex process of background investigation and security screenings, in a process that could take between 18 to 24 months. Mr Priebus said the seven countries had been included because Congress and the Obama administration had identified them as "the most watched countries harbouring terrorists". Others could be added later, he said. What do critics say? Rights groups say Mr Trump's order targets Muslims because of their faith and that they will legally challenge his move. They also say no refugees have been convicted of terrorism-related crimes. They also say that the most recent attacks in the US were carried out by US nationals or citizens from the countries not included in the travel ban: