Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly clears U.S. green card holders for travel to U.S.

Protesters at Chicago O'Hare over President Trump's executive order
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

When President Trump signed an executive order Friday evening suspending all travel to the U.S. by refugees and visitors from seven majority-Muslim countries, it appears to have caught just about everyone outside a tight circle of advisers in the White House by surprise. On Sunday night, there still seemed to be confusion among Border and Customs Patrol agents at various airports around the country, with the White House giving shifting directives, federal judges putting holds on parts of Trump's executive order, and the White House insisting that the judicial orders don't affect the executive order. "It is clear from the confusion at airports across our nation that President Trump's executive order was not properly vetted," said Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday afternoon.

Guidance on how to process permanent legal residents — those with green cards — was particularly fluid, with some green-card holders blocked from boarding flights and others detained once arriving at U.S. airports. On Saturday, an unidentified senior administration official said that green card holders from the seven targeted countries would have to receive waivers before returning home or traveling abroad, but on Sunday morning, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said "the executive order doesn't affect green card holders moving forward."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.