Travelers At Logan Airport React To Partial Reinstatement Of Travel Ban
BOSTON (CBS) -- Fresh off the plane at Logan Airport are passengers returning from abroad Thursday, with many reacting to a partial reinstatement of President Donald Trump's travel ban.
One of the first travelers to get off a plane at the International Terminal was Pamela Jimenez who said, "It's kind of crazy because we just went over this."
Beginning today, travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen will face a "tougher time" entering the U.S. as a result of the travel ban.
The Supreme Court partially restored the president's executive order earlier this week, arguing that the lower courts blocking the policy went too far in limiting Mr. Trump's authority.
The order has been widely criticized as a ban on Muslims, making it tough for families to go through.
Jimenez says she's not a fan of the ban either.
"Trump can do his thing, but we don't like it," she said.
Other travelers at Logan Airport want to know about the risk.
"If banning just six countries, you know something we don't know, then show it for all of us to see," the traveler said.
The Supreme Court did not reinstate the full ban. Visa applicants and refugees will be exempt if they have a bonafide relationship with someone in the United States.
However, that part of the ban isn't clear according to Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, head of the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights says that one of the most problematic parts of the travel ban is what constitutes a "bonafide" relationship.
"Consulates around the world have received information saying if you have a family relationship. For example a husband or a son, or a daughter, that's a legitimate bonafide relationship, but not grandparents," Madrigal said. "It seems to be extraordinarily arbitrary."
Espinoza-Madrigal says the order is so vague it allows a troublesome amount of discretion to be exercised by immigration authorities.
Immigration attorney Kerry Doyle has also been at the forefront of fighting the ban.
"There's so many layers here. They're not clear definition of what a bona fide relationship means," Doyle said.
Another provision is that fiancees don't qualify even if husbands and wives do.
Immigration attorney Susan Church has questions about who will enforce the ban.
"Who's making the decisions? Customs and Border Security agents? At the border people can be turned around who can't prove they're a sister in law or a mother in law," Church says.
Immigration Law specialists agree that the language in the ban leaves the issue to interpretation by officials at any embassy or consulate. However, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly says the travel ban is in the interest of national security.
"We'll be able to move forward, not focusing on people from one religion or one culture. We can do a better job of determining who the person is that wants to come and why they want to come here," Kelly said.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports
