Trump could bring back ‘Muslim ban’ if elected president

Executive orders, regulations and memos are said to have already been drawn up to be signed by a future homeland security secretary

Donald Trump could reinstate his “Muslim ban” if he wins the presidential election, according to plans drawn up by his top immigration adviser.
Stephen Miller is among several allies of the former president who is plotting to revive the controversial policy as part of a wider move to limit legal immigration, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Executive orders, regulations and memos are said to have already been drawn up to be signed by a future homeland security secretary.
However, it comes at a time when Trump has struck a noticeably warmer stance on Muslims as they abandon the Democrats over the war in Gaza.
Trump imposed a travel ban from majority Muslim countries, labelled a “Muslim ban” by critics, in 2017. It was subsequently struck down by the courts but was narrowly upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Joe Biden then revoked it with an executive order when he became president three years ago.
Mr Miller, the architect of the travel ban who is expected to serve in a top government role if Trump is re-elected, has repeatedly said it should be reinstated.
“The immigration discussion cannot simply be cleaved into legal/illegal,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this year.
“Refugee resettlement is ‘legal.’ Chain migration is ‘legal.’ Diversity lottery is ‘legal.’ Islamist green card migration is ‘legal.’ And it’s why we need the Trump travel ban back now.”
The “Muslim ban” was a flagship policy of Trump’s campaign in 2016, but the former president has recently avoided mentioning it on the campaign trail.
Some believe he is attempting to woo Muslim and Arab Americans as they abandon Kamala Harris over her support for Israel, more than a year after it began a military operation in Gaza.
A poll in September showed Trump led Ms Harris 46 per cent to 42 per cent among likely Arab American voters.
“They could turn the election one way or the other,” he acknowledged on Saturday. “I think we have it anyway – I’m telling you, we have so many votes – but we’ve got to get more.”
Other plans drawn up to limit immigration include a halt on refugee resettlement and raising the bar for a green card to block migrants who are disabled, speak limited English, or do not earn enough.
The Trump campaign did not directly comment when approached by the Wall Street Journal.
Karoline Leavitt, its national press secretary, said in a statement: “President Trump has repeatedly said that he supports legal immigration and wants as many people to come into the country, as long as they come legally.”
Mr Miller was known as the most influential voice on immigration in the Trump administration as the former president cycled through a series of acting homeland security secretaries.