The U.S. government has granted waivers to allow 872 refugees into the country this week after President Donald Trump’s executive order on Friday to temporarily bar entry of refugees, according to Reuters, citing a Department of Homeland Security document.
Meanwhile, a DHS official told the news agency the waivers are legitimate, saying those refugees are considered “in transit” and were cleared for resettlement before Trump’s order.
The waivers came amid protests and criticism of the administration’s orders, which bars refugees from entering the country for 120 days and bars citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen from coming into the country.
“The 872 refugees to be admitted this week, under the waivers, were screened using Obama administration procedures, which typically take two years and include several interviews and a background check,” Reuters said.
