US President Donald Trump said the new US immigration ban is not directed against Muslims.
"To be clear, this is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting. This is not about religion - this is about terror and keeping our country safe. There are over 40 different countries worldwide that are majority Muslim that are not affected by this order," Trump said.
Her recalled that the US is a "proud nation of immigrants" and it will continue to show compassion to those fleeing oppression, but stressed that the authorities do so while "protecting their own citizens and border".
"America has always been the land of the free and home of the brave. We will keep it free and keep it safe, as the media knows, but refuses to say," he added.
The executive order blocked entry into the United States for 90 days for citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. It also suspended entry of all refugees for 120 days and barred Syrian refugees indefinitely.
