February 07, 2017
***Update To Travel Advisory***
WASHINGTON FEDERAL COURT TEMPORARILY HALTS ENFORCEMENT OF PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE ORDER
On Friday, February 3, 2017, a United States federal court in Seattle, WA granted an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order against the President’s Executive Order relating to the U.S. travel ban imposed on individuals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
The temporary restraining order prevents enforcement of the Executive Order for the present time. In accordance with the temporary restraining order, the Department of Homeland Security has halted the implementation of the Executive Order, and the Department of State has stopped the revocation of valid visas of individuals from the above-named countries. U.S. Customs & Border Protection has also been instructed to resume standard inspections for those individuals seeking entry, allowing individuals from the above-named countries with valid visas to enter the U.S.
It is uncertain how long the temporary restraining order will remain in effect. At this time, we continue to advise our clients from the affected countries who are currently in the U.S. to avoid international travel if at all possible. We also strongly encourage those individuals who are outside the U.S. to attempt to re-enter as soon as possible.
To best serve our clients, we will continue to monitor these developments closely and provide additional information as it becomes available. If you have any questions regarding the Temporary Restraining Order or the Executive Order, please feel free to contact our office.