Van Hollen Announces New Reporting Requirements on the Trump Travel Ban

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen announced that he successfully secured language as part of the Fiscal Year 2019 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act that would ensure that the public has access to information on President Trump's travel ban, including the number of visa waivers granted to citizens of the banned countries. To date, the administration has provided no transparency about how the ban is being administered. Senator Van Hollen has repeatedly raised concerns about the travel ban, which may violate our Constitution and immigration law.

"The Trump Administration has claimed to the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the American people that their travel ban is not unfairly targeting Muslims and that waivers are being issued on a case-by-case basis -- but they have provided virtually no information to validate that claim. Instead, the process has been shrouded in an unusual level of secrecy that raises serious concerns about its legality," said Senator Van Hollen. "This legislation will help ensure that the public -- and particularly those American citizens with family and friends in the banned countries -- have the information they deserve."

The amendment was included as part of the Manager's Package and passed with strong bipartisan support.

Source