Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown targets some legal means to enter U.S., too

Washington — The Trump administration's swift crackdown on immigration has moved beyond those living in or entering the U.S. illegally, with officials also issuing bans and restrictions on legal immigration, including programs for refugees displaced by violence.

President Trump made getting tough on illegal immigration a pillar of his presidential campaign, and he has already enacted far-reaching measures targeting those who violated U.S. immigration law. They include sealing the U.S. asylum system for those without proper documents; tasking the military with deporting immigration violators; and empowering deportation officers to target most unauthorized immigrants, including those without criminal records.

But, with less fanfare, Mr. Trump's actions have closed pathways for vetting and legally admitting hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war-torn Ukraine, Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and other troubled parts of the world, including crisis-stricken Haiti and Venezuela.