"I'm establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America. We don't want them here," Trump said after he signed the executive order in his first visit to the Pentagon, a week after he was sworn in as the President.
"We want to ensure that we are not admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas. We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country and love deeply our people," Trump said.
The executive order "Protection of The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States" notes that the steps taken by the US in the aftermath of 9/11 has not been able to deter terrorists from entering the country.
"Numerous foreign-born individuals have been convicted or implicated in terrorism-related crimes since September 11, 2001, including foreign nationals who entered the US after receiving visitor, student, or employment visas, or who entered through the US refugee resettlement program," it said.
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"In order to protect Americans, the US must ensure that those admitted to this country do not bear hostile attitudes toward it and its founding principles," the executive order said adding that the US cannot, and should not, admit those who do not support the Constitution, or those who would place violent ideologies over American law.
The executive order suspends the US Refugee Admissions Programme for 120 days until it is reinstated "only for nationals of countries for whom" members of Trump's Cabinet deem can be properly vetted.
News reports had said that US has identified six
countries - Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Iraq - from where it would refuse to provide its visas. With respect to countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia it would resort to extreme vetting.
In an interview to Christian Broadcast Network, Trump said he would give priority to Christina refugees. "We are going to help them," he said.
"They've been horribly treated. Do you know if you were a Christian in Syria it was impossible, at least very tough, to get into the United States?," he said.
"If you were a Muslim you could come in, but if you were a Christian, it was almost impossible and the reason that was so unfair, everybody was persecuted in all fairness, but they were chopping off the heads of everybody but more so the Christians. And I thought it was very, very unfair," Trump said.