Implementing Immediate Heightened Screening and Vetting of Applications for Visas and Other Immigration Benefits, Ensuring Enforcement of All Laws for Entry Into the United States, and Increasing Transparency Among Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government and for the American People, 16279-16281 [2017-06702]

Agencies

• Executive Office of the President

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 62 (Monday, April 3, 2017)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 16279-16281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-06702]



[[Page 16277]]

Vol. 82

Monday,

No. 62

April 3, 2017

Part II





The President





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Memorandum of March 6, 2017--Implementing Immediate Heightened 
Screening and Vetting of Applications for Visas and Other Immigration 
Benefits, Ensuring Enforcement of All Laws for Entry Into the United 
States, and Increasing Transparency Among Departments and Agencies of 
the Federal Government and for the American People



Executive Order 13784--Establishing the President's Commission on 
Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 82 , No. 62 / Monday, April 3, 2017 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 16279]]

                Memorandum of March 6, 2017

                
Implementing Immediate Heightened Screening and 
                Vetting of Applications for Visas and Other Immigration 
                Benefits, Ensuring Enforcement of All Laws for Entry 
                Into the United States, and Increasing Transparency 
                Among Departments and Agencies of the Federal 
                Government and for the American People

                Memorandum for the Secretary of State[,] the Attorney 
                General[, and] the Secretary of Homeland Security

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act 
                (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., and section 301 of title 
                3, United States Code, I hereby direct the following:

                Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the United 
                States to keep its citizens safe from terrorist 
                attacks, including those committed by foreign 
                nationals. To avert the entry into the United States of 
                foreign nationals who may aid, support, or commit 
                violent, criminal, or terrorist acts, it is critical 
                that the executive branch enhance the screening and 
                vetting protocols and procedures for granting visas, 
                admission to the United States, or other benefits under 
                the INA. For that reason, in the executive order 
                entitled, ``Protecting the Nation from Foreign 
                Terrorist Entry into the United States,'' and issued 
                today, I directed the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
                in consultation with the Secretary of State and the 
                Director of National Intelligence, to conduct a review 
                to ``identify whether, and if so what, additional 
                information will be needed from each foreign country to 
                adjudicate an application by a national of that country 
                for a visa, admission, or other benefit under the INA 
                (adjudications) in order to determine that the 
                individual is not a security or public-safety threat.''

                While that comprehensive review is ongoing, however, 
                this Nation cannot delay the immediate implementation 
                of additional heightened screening and vetting 
                protocols and procedures for issuing visas to ensure 
                that we strengthen the safety and security of our 
                country.

                Moreover, because it is my constitutional duty to 
                ``take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,'' the 
                executive branch is committed to ensuring that all laws 
                related to entry into the United States are enforced 
                rigorously and consistently.

                Sec. 2. Enhanced Vetting Protocols and Procedures for 
                Visas and Other Immigration Benefits. The Secretary of 
                State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
                consultation with the Attorney General, shall, as 
                permitted by law, implement protocols and procedures as 
                soon as practicable that in their judgment will enhance 
                the screening and vetting of applications for visas and 
                all other immigration benefits, so as to increase the 
                safety and security of the American people. These 
                additional protocols and procedures should focus on:

                    (a) preventing the entry into the United States of 
                foreign nationals who may aid, support, or commit 
                violent, criminal, or terrorist acts; and
                    (b) ensuring the proper collection of all 
                information necessary to rigorously evaluate all 
                grounds of inadmissibility or deportability, or grounds 
                for the denial of other immigration benefits.

[[Page 16280]]

                Sec. 3. Enforcement of All Laws for Entry into the 
                United States. I direct the Secretary of State, the 
                Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
                and the heads of all other relevant executive 
                departments and agencies (as identified by the 
                Secretary of Homeland Security) to rigorously enforce 
                all existing grounds of inadmissibility and to ensure 
                subsequent compliance with related laws after 
                admission. The heads of all relevant executive 
                departments and agencies shall issue new rules, 
                regulations, or guidance (collectively, rules), as 
                appropriate, to enforce laws relating to such grounds 
                of inadmissibility and subsequent compliance. To the 
                extent that the Secretary of Homeland Security issues 
                such new rules, the heads of all other relevant 
                executive departments and agencies shall, as necessary 
                and appropriate, issue new rules that conform to them. 
                Such new rules shall supersede any previous rules to 
                the extent of any conflict.

                Sec. 4. Transparency and Data Collection. (a) To ensure 
                that the American people have more regular access to 
                information, and to ensure that the executive branch 
                shares information among its departments and agencies, 
                the Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland 
                Security shall, consistent with applicable law and 
                national security, issue regular reports regarding 
                visas and adjustments of immigration status, written in 
                non-technical language for broad public use and 
                understanding. In addition to any other information 
                released by the Secretary of State, the Attorney 
                General, or the Secretary of Homeland Security:

(i) Beginning on April 28, 2017, and by the last day of every month 
thereafter, the Secretary of State shall publish the following information 
about actions taken during the preceding calendar month:

  (A) the number of visas that have been issued from each consular office 
within each country during the reporting period, disaggregated by detailed 
visa category and country of issuance; and

  (B) any other information the Secretary of State considers appropriate, 
including information that the Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland 
Security may request be published.

(ii) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue reports detailing the 
number of adjustments of immigration status that have been made during the 
reporting period, disaggregated by type of adjustment, type and detailed 
class of admission, and country of nationality. The first report shall be 
issued within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, and subsequent 
reports shall be issued every 90 days thereafter. The first report shall 
address data from the date of this memorandum until the report is issued, 
and each subsequent report shall address new data since the last report was 
issued.

                    (b) To further ensure transparency for the American 
                people regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of 
                our immigration programs in serving the national 
                interest, the Secretary of State, in consultation with 
                the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 
                Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of the 
                Office of Management and Budget, shall, within 180 days 
                of the date of this memorandum, submit to me a report 
                detailing the estimated long-term costs of the United 
                States Refugee Admissions Program at the Federal, 
                State, and local levels, along with recommendations 
                about how to curtail those costs.
                    (c) The Secretary of State, in consultation with 
                the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, 
                shall, within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, 
                produce a report estimating how many refugees are being 
                supported in countries of first asylum (near their home 
                countries) for the same long-term cost as supporting 
                refugees in the United States, taking into account the 
                full lifetime cost of Federal, State, and local 
                benefits, and the comparable cost of providing similar 
                benefits elsewhere.

                Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this 
                memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise 
                affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or 
the head thereof; or

[[Page 16281]]

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent 
                with applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.
                    (c) All actions taken pursuant to this memorandum 
                shall be consistent with requirements and authorities 
                to protect intelligence and law enforcement sources and 
                methods, personally identifiable information, and the 
                confidentiality of visa records. Nothing in this 
                memorandum shall be interpreted to supersede measures 
                established under authority of law to protect the 
                security and integrity of specific activities and 
                associations that are in direct support of intelligence 
                and law enforcement operations.
                    (d) This memorandum is not intended to, and does 
                not, create any right or benefit, substantive or 
                procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any 
                party against the United States, its departments, 
                agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or 
                agents, or any other person.
                    (e) The Secretary of State is hereby authorized and 
                directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal 
                Register.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, March 6, 2017

[FR Doc. 2017-06702
Filed 3-31-17; 11:15 am]
Billing code 4710-10-P