US government officials said this time around the implementation of the ban on citizens from six predominantly Muslim countries would be strict, which began at 8.00 EDT (0000 GMT). Dan Hetlage, the spokesperson for the Customs and Border Protection agency, said his office had assumed normal duties at the ports of entry, with all the current visa holders still able to travel.

The legal battle continues

However, immigration and refugee lawyers are challenging new demands, and the administration has tried to clarify how the rules will make America safer.

The temporary rules permit the United States to allow citizens of Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Iran, Libya, and Yemen who already have visas. But people from the restricted countries will have to prove that their close family relationships or existing relationships with an entity such as a school or company in the United States.

It is not quite clear how much the new rules affect travel. In most of the selected countries, few people have leisure opportunities. Those who have been confronted with intensive screening before issuing a visa.

Nonetheless, human rights activists were the subject of a new legal tussle. The American Civil Liberties Union, one of the protest groups challenging the travel ban, argued that the new requirement is very restrictive, whimsical to their exclusion and intended to deter and condemn the Muslims.

On Thursday, the Hawaiian state filed an emergency, urging a federal judge to explain that the administration could not enforce the new rule banning relatives like grandparents, uncles or aunts - that are not included in the definition of the 'bona fide' personal relationship with the state department.

In January, when Trump’s first prohibition came into force, tourists who had previously been issued visas were prevented from entry to the United States upon arrival or departure.

On Thursday, immigration officials were directed not to prevent anyone with a valid visa.

Karen Tumlin, director of the legal unit of the National Immigration Issues Act, stated that the rules would let the door shut down for so many who have been waiting for family reunification for several months or years.

Fulfillment of campaign pledge

Trump, who took a strong approach to immigration as the major pledge of his election campaign, ordered a ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries and Iraq immediately after taking office in January. His executive order also banned refugees from every country.

Trump stated that they were temporary restrictions that were necessary to curtail terrorism so that control procedures can be reviewed. Critics noted that the control of visa and refugee status were already rigorous and said that there was no proof that citizens of those countries constitute a risk. The ban is seen as a fulfillment of Trump campaign's promise to prevent Muslims from entering the United States.
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