President Barack Obama and his five presidential predecessors have used their executive powers to temporarily ban certain immigrants — including Muslims — from entering the United States.
According to the Washington Examiner, Obama has used his rights as president to put a halt to some immigrants from arriving here six times. This is despite his claim that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's call to temporarily ban Muslims from coming to the U.S. is wrong.
The first time Obama used section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, reports the Examiner, was to stop "immigrants or nonimmigrants" from emigrating to the U.S. under a broader ban instituted by the United Nations in 2011.
That 2011 order,
reports The Daily Caller, covered "anyone under a UN travel ban; anyone who violates any of 29 executive orders regarding transactions with terrorists, those who undermine the democratic process in specific countries, or transnational criminal organizations."
Former President George W. Bush used the executive powers six times as well, and Bill Clinton did twice, reports The Daily Caller.
Before Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and Jimmy Carter instituted bans using their executive powers a combined seven times.
Trump has said for months, including this week after the Orlando terror attacks, he wants to
stop Muslims from emigrating to the U.S. "until we figure out what the hell is going on."
According to the Examiner, Obama's executive actions on stopping immigration have involved people helping Iran, Syria, and Crimea. Iran and Syria are predominately Muslim countries.
Obama disagrees with Trump's call to ban Muslims, and said this week he still plans to
resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in America by October.
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.