Wednesday, December 9, 2015

President Carter Banned Iranians from Coming to US During Hostage Crisis


During the Iranian hostage crisis, President Carter issued a number of orders to put pressure on Iran. Among these, Iranians were banned from entering the United States unless they opposed the Shiite Islamist regime or had a medical emergency.

Here's Carter saying it back in 1980.

Fourth, the Secretary of Treasury [State] and the Attorney General will invalidate all visas issued to Iranian citizens for future entry into the United States, effective today. We will not reissue visas, nor will we issue new visas, except for compelling and proven humanitarian reasons or where the national interest of our own country requires. This directive will be interpreted very strictly.

Here's how the Iranian students in the US were treated:

- Carter orders 50,000 Iranian students in US to report to immigration office with view to deporting those in violation of their visas. On 27 December 1979, US appeals court allows deportation of Iranian students found in violation.

- In November 1979, the Attorney General had given all Iranian students one month to report to the local immigration office. Around 7,000 were found in violation of their visas. Around 15,000 Iranians were forced to leave the US.

Meanwhile any Iranians entering the US were forced to undergo secondary screening.

Interestingly enough, Carter did this by invoking the Nationality Act of 1952. A law originally opposed by Democrats for its attempt to restrict Communist immigration to the United States.

Carter targeted people by nationality. Trump's proposal does so by religion.











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