US regulatory agency to review Trump's travel restrictions
A regulatory agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it is planning to review how U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order, which temporarily suspends entry into the U.S. for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, is being implemented; the review of Friday's order is being planned "in response to a congressional request and complaints."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) A regulatory agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it plans to review how U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order, which temporarily suspends entry into the U.S. for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, is being implemented.
The review of Friday's decree is being planned "in response to a congressional request and complaints," the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) said in a statement issued late Wednesday.
The regulatory agency will also investigate "DHS's attention to court orders and allegations of individual misconduct by DHS staff," the statement said. "If circumstances warrant, the OIG will consider including other issues that may emerge during the course of the review."
The decree triggered widespread protests and confused travelers worldwide, as well as provoking several legal challenges, particularly because of the initial detention or travel ban of legal and permanent residents of the U.S. holding green cards.
DHS has a policy of not commenting on OIG investigations.
On Tuesday in California, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled that the Trump administration must allow entry to immigrants who received initial clearance to enter the U.S., despite the executive order.
The states of Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, and Washington also challenged the measure.
The Trump administration defended the decree as critical to national security.
On Sunday, the DHS said green card holders will be allowed to board flights to the U.S. and will undergo screening upon arrival after revised White House guidelines said they do not need clearance to enter the country.
The OIG statement indicated that the office will provide a final report to Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Congress, and the public after its review, but did not say how long this will take.
(By Julia Edwards Ainsley and Eric Walsh)