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Trump’s new travel ban concerns Utahns

Posted at 10:14 PM, Sep 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-26 00:14:46-04

WEST JORDAN, Utah – A local immigration attorney broke down President Trump’s latest travel restrictions and said it could be a lot tougher to fight in court than the prior ban.

On Sunday, the White House issued a revised and extended travel ban citing security concerns. Beginning in October, travel restrictions for some citizens in Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea will go into effect.

North Korea and Venezuela are new additions to the list. The move replaces a temporary travel ban signed earlier this year, which expired over the weekend.

After Trump’s decision, the Supreme Court announced Monday they are taking the President’s controversial ban off its calendar. The court wants to hear from both sides by October 5th, if the issue is moot.

“I just think the Trump administration has seen what happened with the original form of their travel ban and said 'well, let's make it stronger',” said Jonathon Shaw, an immigration attorney based out of West Jordan.

He said the previous ban included Muslim-majority countries. But now, the new policy has expanded to other countries.

“They're sort of trying to take out that argument out and saying it is constitutional, it's not based on a religious test,” said Shaw.

Shaw has heard from Venezuelans who live in Utah. They’re worried about the new policy. He said the restrictions on Venezuelans apply only to government officials and their families. As for immigrants who are living in Utah on a travel document, Shaw said there are still options.

“It doesn't mean their document is going to be suddenly canceled and immigration officials are going to come and seek them out. It could mean that, given different circumstances, that if they return and they want to come back, they might have issues depending where they work," Shaw said.

Shaw said there's still a lot of uncertainty about whether or not this policy will go through. He anticipates several groups filing lawsuits in the coming weeks.

The Catholic Community Services of Utah expressed their uneasiness with the new restrictions:

"CCS is again disappointed by this new development in expanding the terms of the travel ban. We see this as additional regulations in preventing vulnerable immigrants and refugees from entering a safe refuge. Our country and communities have the capacity and desire to welcome our brothers and sisters from around the world. We hope everyone will stand with us as we continue to welcome the stranger."