President Barack Obama on Thursday
signed a proclamation banning violators of human rights, including
LGBT rights, entry into the United States.
Obama's
proclamation bans any persons who have participated in serious
human rights violations abroad, including human right violations
based on sexual orientation and gender identity, from entering the
nation.
Immigrant and non-immigrant aliens who
“planned, ordered, assisted, aided and abetted, committed or
otherwise participated in, including through command responsibility,
widespread or systematic violence against any civilian population
based in whole or in part on race; color; descent; sex; disability;
membership in an indigenous group; language; religion; political
opinion; national origin; ethnicity; membership in a particular
social group; birth; or sexual orientation or gender identity, or who
attempted or conspired to do so” are suspended from entry into the
United States.
The measure gives the Secretary of
State broad discretion in implementing the proclamation. That is,
the secretary could allow such an individual to enter the country if
the “entry of such person would be in the interest of the United
States.”