Summary: Those that have been turned away with valid visas are getting a chance to obtain visas from the government again and be allowed to enter the country.
An attorney for the government claims that over 100,000 visas were revoked due to President Donald Trump’s executive order stopping travel from seven countries. The number was revealed an Alexandria federal court after two Yemeni brothers filed suit after arriving in Dulles International Airport last Saturday. They claim they were coerced into giving up their immigrant visas and placed on a flight back to Ethiopia.
The State Department contends that the actual number of revoked visas was only about 60,000. Spokeswoman Virginia Elliot for the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the State Department explained that the revocation does not impact those already in the United States legally. Those that leave the U.S. and try to return would have invalid visas.
The number of people that have been turned away from Dulles since the travel ban is unknown. Those with green cards coming through the airport are still allowed into the country.
The case brought by the brothers Tareq and Ammar Aqel Mohammed Aziz is being reexamined since they came with valid visas and were turned away. In an attempt to stop the lawsuits, the government is reissuing their visas if they drop the lawsuit. Virginia Solicitor General Stuart Raphael says this approach to fixing their mistake is not acceptable of the government. He has been given permission by Judge Leonie M. Brinkema granted Virginia’s request to join the lawsuit with the brothers.
Raphael explained, “There’s something very troubling about the way this is playing out. While I am pleased that they are willing to whisk people back if they come to our attention, they won’t come to our attention if we don’t know who they are.”
He stated that they have also learned of a George Mason University student from Libya that is stuck in Turkey because of the ban.
Do you think this is an acceptable approach to correcting the issue of people with valid visas being turned away? Tell us in the comments below.
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- Costly Mistakes Can Be Made in Do-It-Yourself Immigration Software
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