Stepsister, Yes; Grandma, No: U.S. Sets Guidelines for Revised Travel Ban

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — Stepsiblings and half-siblings are allowed, but not nieces or nephews. Sons- and daughters-in-law are in, but brothers- and sisters-in-law are not. Parents, including in-laws, are considered “close family,” but grandparents are not.

The State Department issued new guidelines on Wednesday night to American embassies and consulates on how they should enforce a limited travel ban against foreign visitors from six predominantly Muslim countries. Enforcement of the guidelines will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern on Thursday.

The guidelines followed the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday to allow parts of the Trump administration’s revised travel ban to move forward, while also imposing certain limits, as the court prepares to hear arguments in October on the scope of presidential power over border security and immigration.

The court said the ban could not be imposed on anyone who had “a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.”

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/28/us/politics/homeland-security-prepares-to-issue-travel-restrictions.html

[BumRushDaShow]

1. I expect that will be challenged in court

notably due to the "grandparents" restriction, as their grown "children" may have been detained or killed in the hostilities in these countries, leaving the grandchildren without an immediate relative.

[riversedge]

2. A grandparent is certainly a a credible claim of a bona fide relationship .."

Where are the family values in the dissing of grandparents.



....The court said the ban could not be imposed on anyone who had “a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.”............

[Catmusicfan]

3. Jeez, just sick.

[metalbot]

4. This isn't a lot different from normal family visas

If you are a US citizen, you can apply for family based visas for non-citizens, but it's basically limited to parents and siblings (including step).

Of course, the process takes for ever and depends on the country. If you are a US citizen from the Philippines, and you want to bring in your brother, the average wait time is over 20 years for a visa to become available. As a policy matter, that's insane, since you should be bringing people in as young as possible in order to balance the costs at the end of their lives.

[athena]

15. Yes it is. We're talking here about being allowed to enter the country at all.

This is not about bringing one's family in permanently. What this means is that if you're a citizen of Syria and you have a grandchild who is a student in the U.S., you cannot even come in for a two-week visit. You cannot join your grandchild or your nephew or niece for his/her graduation ceremony. This is draconian. And it's deeply insulting to families everywhere.

[metalbot]

16. It is draconian

But tourist visas are impossible for almost everyone in the world. Unless you are wealthy, or you live in a visa waiver country, you aren't getting a tourist visa. I'm married to a Thai national. The chances of any of her family ever being able to visit us is zero.

Ironically, for most people in the world, getting a visa to become a permanent resident is EASIER than to get a tourist visa. All you need for a permanent residency visa is a family connection and a visa number. That same family member who is eligible for a permanent residency visa would NEVER qualify for a tourist visa.

Look, I think the "Trump ban" is dumb. It does absolutely nothing for our security, and it throws bloody meat as Trump's anti-muslim base. But it's only incrementally more draconian than the immigration policies that we've had in place for years, and even for people with no "legitimate" ties, this represents a delay, not a ban.

[nikibatts]

5. I hope someone's grandmother sues.

[WePurrsevere]

6. W.T.H. Excuse me you stupid twits but I ...

and all other grandparents damn well DO have, “a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States” as grandparents.

Heck a claim as a grandparent is certainly genetically stronger than a step-sibling who has no actual genetic link (and I have step-sibs).

I've know quite a few grandparents who have taken in their grandchildren when the children's parents either died or in some other way could no longer properly care for them. My husband and I love our grands to bits and would gladly take them in and raise them in a heartbeat if it were needed too. Heck, most grandparents I know would do so if there were any way they could and there wasn't a better family member to step in.

I'm pretty sure that this part at the very least will be fought against. The choice of not having grandparents on this list is a disgusting and sad statement about the ignorance and possibly ageist mentality of the idiots who put the list together.

[BeekeeperInVermont]

13. I cannot speak to the step-siblings, but the grandparent thing is not new.

In 1995, I was helping a 20's-ish German man who wanted to stay in the US and whose grandmother was an American citizen. I called two immigration attorneys in the Philadelphia area and was told by both, right off the bat, that grandparent/grandchild was not a relationship that would allow this young man to stay in the country legally. Not to defend a government rule, but the line has to be drawn somewhere.

Whatever you think of this policy, it does not appear to be something new.

[WePurrsevere]

14. New or old it's wrong and reflects poorly...

On the US as a country that the grandparent/grandchildren relationship isn't recognized and respected.

"The line has to be drawn somewhere"... umm no, not just because of a person's relationship to anotyer it doesn't. We're a nation founded by and heavily made up of immigrants and should remain/become again a nation who says, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free" or we've gained the illusion of 'security' while losing our heart and soul.

[Hortensis]

7. Now, now, banning grandparents makes sense.

Everyone knows retirees have been flocking to join ISIS.

Anyone compared this list to Rump's own close family yet? (Remembering how exactly the banned nations list compares with Middle East nations Rump has NO investments in.)

Rump's parents are dead but Melania's live and may want to visit again (IN).

His own grandparents and all or most of hers are dead (OUT).

Rump has son-in-law and daughters-in-law (IN) but no close brothers or sisters-in-law (OUT).

Rump has no close cousins or aunts or uncles (OUT).

Rump does have grandchildren--but maybe sees more of them than he wants? (OUT)

What am I missing?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. ISIS? I thought I was joining AARP! I really need reading glasses. nt

[Hortensis]

11. Oh, no! That's perfect!

[Demsrule86]

8. It will be back in court.

[Hortensis]

9. Oh, yes! Expect Fox will skip covering this particular family values

discussion, though.

[athena]

12. This is insane.

This means that if you're from one of those countries and you have a grandchild or an aunt in this country, you're not allowed to visit them here.

Remember, this is not about immigration. This is about being allowed to come into the U.S. at all. So if you happen to have a grandchild or an aunt or uncle in the U.S., whether you're allowed to visit them in the U.S. depends on what country you happen to be a citizen of.

It is incredibly insulting to our intelligence that this administration is claiming that a grandparent, a nephew, or a niece does not have "a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.” It's like 1984. Your "relatives" no longer include your grandparents, your uncles and aunts, or your nieces and nephews. A "relationship" is what we think of as a relationship but what the Trump administration says it is.