Italian band banned from US after landing in Seattle

An Italian rock band was denied entry to the United States then deported after being held in jail. The band was traveling under ESTA the Visa Waiver Program when it landed in Seattle on Wednesday afternoon.

The ESTA program allows citizens of nearly 40 countries to travel to the US without a visa. The band of three, called the Soviet Soviet is based in Pesaro Italy. ESTA is often used by bands when they are only performing with no pay as in promotional tours or attending festivals. ESTA cannot be used for performances at which the performers are paid. Perhaps the band should have renamed itself before trying to enter as the Soviet Soviet. America First or Trump Trump would probably be sufficient to obtain entry.

Friday afternoon, the group posted a lengthy statement on Facebook explaining why it would not be keeping its U.S. tour dates this week and next. The Facebook page has a detailed account of what happened to them:We left Italy headed towards the US with all necessary documents, passports and various declarations in which we clearly explained the purpose of our tour, confirming it is was strictly promotional and that we were in no way going to earn money from it or receive any form of payment. We knew that if we were to receive any compensation we would have had to apply for work visas.

The control agents did a quick check of the concerts they would be giving and found that at two organizers were asking for entry fees. It did not matter that the band were not receiving any pay from the fees, the agents decided that a work visa was needed. The band members argued in vain that the documents showed they would receive no pay for performances. From the time of being denied entry until deported the band insisted they were treated like criminals:They took our digital fingerprints and took mugshots of us for their file. They confiscated our cell phones and we were denied the possibility of contacting our families and loved ones. Around 10:30pm, two prison officers frisked us, handcuffed us and brought us to jail in a police car. We spent the night in jail and had been escorted there as though we were three criminals. The following day, after having completed all jail-related procedures (mugshots, declaration of good health and signatures), two other agents came to get us. We were searched, handcuffed and again escorted in a police car.

Among the letters the trio had with them one was from its US record label explaining that the band was performing a number of unpaid promotional concerts that included a live performance at radio station KEXP as well as at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin Texas. KEXP issued a short statement on the issue:"Yesterday, Thursday, March 9th, Italian trio Soviet Soviet were scheduled to perform live on The Morning Show on KEXP. Their sophomore album Endless was released on felte Records back in December, and with its dark, anthemic, post-punk sound, quickly became a favorite on the KEXP airwaves. Unfortunately, the in-studio — as well as their scheduled performances at Kremwerk, SXSW, and venues along the west coast — had to be canceled. ... KEXP sincerely hopes we'll be able to reschedule a session with the band in the near future."

SWSX starts on March 13. In 2016 nearly 600 foreign acts were showcased. The SWSX has already been in difficulty with some of those contracted to perform. Musicians have accused the SXSW officials of threatening foreign performers with deportation if they appear outside of official festival venues. A drummer Felix Walworth head of the band Told Slant cancelled his appearance tweeting: "I'm not interested in aligning myself with an institution that interacts with immigration authorities as a means of ... controlling where art is shared and performed, and who makes money off of it." Reactions to the SWSX threats ended up in a letter of apology and a promise to revise their language.

Brian Goldstein a prominent immigration attorney, who specializes in working with artists to tour the US said of the new immigration regulations:"Given that the new Order specifically requires heightened vetting and screening of those 'who seek to enter the United States on a fraudulent basis', there is going to be even more scrutiny and less forgiveness than ever before with regard to artists attempting to enter the US on visitor visas (B-1/B-2) or through the Visa Waiver Program ('ESTA'). We are already receiving reports of artists being held and detained for hours upon entering the US to determine whether or not they are performing. Even artists entering as visitors for the purpose of attending a conference or 'performing a showcase' are being pulled aside and, in many cases, being refused entry. Artists entering with B-1/B-2 visas or through the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) are being pulled aside the moment they say that they are 'entertainers', 'performers', or 'artists.' ... In short, an Immigration Officer has the unfettered authority and discretion to deny entry to any artist from any nationality for any reason. To what extent this authority will be exercised remains to be seen."Goldberg noted that the existing regulations about visitors and ESTA visas do not protect artists sufficiently. Goldstein said agents often simply define work as simply performing even if there is no direct pay. Goldstein recommended that artists get an "O" or "P" work visas designed for working entertainers.

Foreign entertainers may simply decide it is not worth coming to US festivals or have promotional tours in the US.

Iraqi PM will not retaliate after Trump imposes travel ban

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump temporarily banned entry to the U.S. for people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somaiia, Sudan and Yemen. All are predominantly Muslim countries.

Iraqi president Haider al-Abadi said Tuesday that he will not initiate a retaliatory ban on Americans as neighboring Iran has already done. Al-Abadi said he does not want to lose cooperation from Washington in the fight against the Islamic State. When he was asked at a news conference if he would act on a parliamentary motion that favored retaliation, Abadi said: "We will not do anything of the sort. We are studying (possible) decisions but we are in a battle and we don't want to harm the national interest." The U.S. and coalition partners are providing critical air and ground support for Iraqi troops fighting against the Islamic State which in 2014 overran almost a third of Iraq. The are more than 5,000 US troops in Iraq.

Iraqis were already angry at the US because Trump has said that the U.S. should have taken Iraqi oil to help pay for the expense of its invasion and occupation of the country and even suggested that the U.S. might have another chance.

On Monday Iraqi lawmakers called on the government to enact a reciprocal travel ban unless Washington withdrew Trump's order to bar the entry of Iraqis. The 90 day ban was designed to keep the U.S. safe from terrorists according to Trump. The order has already alienated many Iraqis who are fighting against the Islamic State, the very terrorists that the U.S. claims are a threat to the U.S. None of the 9/11 terrorists came from Iraq.

Iraqi MP Hakim al-Zamil said: "Parliament voted by majority on calling on the Iraqi government and the foreign ministry to respond in kind." Another MP Sadiq al-Laban confirmed the motion saying:"We are against this stance from the new administration. We hope that the American administration will rethink... this decision."

The growing backlash within Iraq could undermine relations between the two countries just as the large offensive to retake Mosul from the Islamic State is in full swing. Hassan Shwairid, the deputy head of the foreign affairs committee made a similar call for retaliation but said that the ban would not apply to any of the U.S. military personnel in the country. Yet U.S. senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham said Trump's would have an impact on military cooperation with Iraq. In a joint statement the two said:"This executive order bans Iraqi pilots from coming to military bases in Arizona to fight our common enemies. Ultimately, we fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism."

Hashed al-Shaabi a powerful paramilitary umbrella group including Shiite militias that fought the U.S. in the past also demanded that U.S. citizens be banned from Iraq. Units from Hashed al-Shaabi and the American troops are both deployed in Mosul. The Trump order increases the danger to American troops. The popular Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr who often fought against the Americans during much of the Iraq war said: "Get your nationals out before removing expatriates."

Iran retaliates against Trump travel ban by banning Americans

Iran announces in a Foreign Ministry statement that it will ban all Americans from the country. The action is a quick response to Donald Trump's executive order which bans nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days.

Iran is one of the seven countries named. They include as well, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Sudan. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said:

"The US decision to restrict travel for Muslims to the U.S., even if for a temporary period of three months, is an obvious insult to the Islamic world and in particular to the great nation of Iran. Despite the claims of combating terrorism and keeping American people safe, it will be recorded in history as a big gift to extremists and their supporters."The Iranian ban would remain in place until Trump's order is lifted. The Trump executive order also stops all refugees from being admitted to the U.S. for four months.

Other countries may also introduce retaliatory measures. Iraqis are also very angry with the move. Several Americans of Iranian descent are jailed in Iran. The order may make it more difficult to achieve their release.

Two key Iranian figures will be unable to attend the upcoming Oscars in the U.S. Actress Taraneh Alidoosti who stars in the Iranian film "The Salesman" that has been nominated for the best foreign language film tweeted on Thursday: "Trump's visa ban for Iranians is racist. Whether this will include a cultural event or not, I won't attend the Academy Awards 2017 in protest." The director of the film Ashgar Farhadi will be unable to attend the Oscars held in February because of the ban.

The Iranian statement also described the order as "illegal, illogical, and contrary to international rules." The Ministry said it had ordered Iranian diplomats to help Iranians who were being prevented from returning to their homes and places of work or study in the U.S. Travel agents in the Iranian capital Tehran said that foreign airlines had begun to bar Iranians from US-bound flights. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also criticized Trump after Trump had also announced the building of a wall on the Mexcican border. Rouhani said that now was not the time to build walls against other nations: "They have forgotten that the Berlin Wall collapsed many years ago. Even if there are walls between nations, they must be removed." There are more than a million Iranians living in the United States many of whom will be negatively affected by the Trump ban.

Many Iranians were puzzled by Trump's move. Mohsen Najari a 33-year-old resident of Tehran the capital said: "Americans themselves are mostly immigrants. To pick out a few countries and call them terrorist is not logical." Sima a 27-year-old said: "It's got nothing to do with terrorism. Iran and the U.S. just don't have good ties. The US has good relations with Saudi Arabia so it doesn't matter how many terrorists come from Saudi Arabia." The National Iranian American Council also criticized the ban as shameful and discriminatory. The group said:"We will not be silent and will use every resource at our disposal to fight these shameful actions and protect the values and people who make America great. Even if this were the right approach, it is notable that the list doesn’t include Saudi Arabia and would have done nothing to prevent 9/11 or the other terrorist attacks committed by radical Wahhabi jihadists in the U.S. But it does include Iran – from which no national has committed a terrorist act in America."The Iranian move will have a disastrous effect on the efforts of American business entrepreneurs to start new businesses in Iran.

Trump's travel ban order creating confusion and chaos

(January 27) The executive order was designed Trump said to "keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States". In a TV broadcast on Friday he said that Christians would be given priority among Syrians applying for refugee status.

The full text of the executive order is available here. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) immediately announced it would be filing a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the order claiming that the apparent purpose and underlying motive is to ban people of the Islamic faith from Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Actually the order does not include several Muslim-majority countries where Trump has businesses such as Saudi Arabia, the GCC members and Egypt as being a target of the order. CAIR's Lena Masri said: “There is no evidence that refugees – the most thoroughly vetted of all people entering our nation – are a threat to national security. This is an order that is based on bigotry, not reality.” A tweet notes: "Refugees resettled in US are screened by:- at least 4 US govt agencies- @UNRefugeeAgency - @ICMC_news. The process takes ~4 years."

CAIR notes some of the important features of Trump's order:Trump’s plan would suspend the entry of immigrants and non-immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen for 90 days, ban refugees from Syria indefinitely, suspend all refugee admissions for 120 days, cut refugee numbers down to a maximum of 50,000 in 2017 (less than half the previous year’s figure of 117,000), and prioritise refugee claims if the refugee is a member of a minority religion – a clear attempt to carve out an exception for Christians.The U.S. Refugee Admissions Programme is suspended for 120 days. The Visa Interview Waiver Programme that allowed immigrants to renew their visas without attending an interview will be immediately suspended. The U.S. actually allows in few Syrian refugees. Last year Obama allowed in only 10,000 whereas Canada with a population one ninth as large took in 35,000.

Democratic Senator Kamala Harris noted that the order was signed on Holocaust Memorial Day and said the order was a ban against Muslims and said: "We have opened our doors to those fleeing violence and oppression for decades, by presidents on both sides of the aisle. During the Holocaust, we failed to let refugees like Anne Frank into our country. We can't let history repeat itself." Malala Yousafzai, the teenager once shot by the Taliban for advocating women's education in Pakistan and subsequently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize said she was heartbroken when she heard the news saying: "Today President Trump is closing the door on children, mothers and fathers fleeing violence and war. America is turning its back on a proud history of welcoming refugees and immigrants — the people who helped build your country, ready to work hard in exchange for a fair chance at a new life."

When Trump was interviewed on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) he said he would give priority to Christians fleeing persecution in Syria and said: "Do you know if you were a Christian in Syria it was impossible, or at least very, very tough to get into the United States. If you were a Muslim, you could come in, but if you were a Christian it was almost impossible."

The order is likely to create chaos. One article claims that up to 500,000 legal U.S. residents could be barred from returning to the U.S. from trips. Another article notes that the order is causing panic among refugees. Becca Heller, director of the International Refugee Assistance Project, said she received a flurry of emails and calls from all over the U.S. Heller said: "Everyone is panicked. No one knows what this means. We have clients whose lives are seriously at risk, who are days away — approved, given visas and simply awaiting travel dates. Many of these people are at risk because of their ties to America — either because they have family here or because they worked with American forces." Some critics have pointed out that the Trump order may actually make the U.S. less secure as it alienates many countries and groups including allies such as the Kurds in Iraq.

Iraqis angry at Trump travel ban

(January 27) Iraqi MPs say that it is very likely the Iraqi government will respond to the executive order banning all Iraqis from visiting the U.S. for 30 days by initiating a retaliatory ban on Americans wanting to visit Iraq.

While all of Iraq is upset by the ban, Iraqi Kurdistan is particularly incensed as they have been trying to forge business ties with U.S. businesses. Some analysts warn that retaliation might rile up the Trump administration and warned that a mutual ban could hurt Iraq much more than it would the U.S. On the other hand, it might gain Iraqi politicians some needed public support for standing up to Trump. The Kurds are particularly angry since they have supported the U.S. for years.

When he first began to campaign for president Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States". The country needed to "figure out what was going on". Later during his campaign he altered the policy to a suspension of "immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur". He has made good on that promise. In addition to Iraq the ban applies to Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan. Missing from the list are several Muslim-majority countries where Trump has businesses. An article in Fortune shows a map of the countries black-listed in the Middle East and those not. Those not listed include Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, the home of many 9/11 terrorists.

The draft order was titled ‘Protecting the nation from terrorist attacks by foreign nationals.," and states that: “The United States must be vigilant during the visa-issuance process to ensure that those approved for admission do not intend to harm Americans and that they have no ties to terrorism.” The order says that the U.S. cannot allow those into the U.S. who are hostile to it or who place violent religious edicts over U.S. law. The order is for at least 30 days until the government is able to review and tighten immigrant screening processes. Renas Jano, a member of the foreign relations committee in the Iraqi parliament said: “There is mutual treatment between Iraq and the U.S. in terms of diplomatic relations and visa issuance. It is very likely that Iraq might suspend issuing visas to U.S. citizens following the U.S. president’s decision to suspend visas to Iraqi citizens.” However, Jano also noted that Iraq had a lot to lose if it started a fight with the U.S.: “If Iraq responds the same way to Trump’s decision by suspending visas to U.S. citizens, we will lose a lot, as there is a big American force here helping us in our war against ISIS. In addition, there are many U.S. diplomats and business people here. The decision will also disfavor Iraqi students too.”

In the Kurdish region people on the street expressed anger to reporters. In Erbil a man in his sixties said: "The Peshmerga have been fighting terror and making sacrifices in this way. Is this the reward? Calling us terrorists? In fact, they brought terror to this country They have to separate the Kurdistan Region from this decision as many people will be damaged due to this decree." Another Kurdistani Osman Rauf Osman said: "This problem has to be solved through diplomatic talks. If the Iraqi government takes such measures, the U.S. will stay away from us and this certainly will not be in favor of the Kurdistan Region at this critical time." However Hemn Maghdid said that U.S. visas were already difficult to get. He said that he thought the move was pre-planned but would not last long.