The statement allows for them to keep things as they are for more than 90 days. At or after 90 days they may decide to have the current restrictions continue for even longer than 90 days.
On multiple levels, the statement is designed to be a fig leaf indeed.
By some private accounts from within DHS (and while it seems the statement and the follow-ons may be a fig leaf), there was also a mask: a masking of the orders to skip over some senior DHS career employees who would have otherwise normally been involved before a change of this nature would be activated. No surprise that things turned haywire so fast and so quickly when even DOJ OLC didn't get time to get a word in on this before it hit.
While I was at LAX yesterday, the riot police were at the airport due to the number of protesters and even some counter-protesters. But it seemed to go along peacefully but lead to hassles getting into the airport and in getting taxis/Uber out of the airport. I was told by several parties that the international arrival process was changed, and that even many of those without bags would have to exit via TBIT even when without checked bags. That was different than usual. And a high proportion of Global Entry machines were reported down, but that was due to them ending up out of receipt paper at all about the same time.
Last edited by GUWonder; Jan 30, 2017 at 6:55 am