Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 14 / Monday, January 25, 2021 / Presidential Documents 7005 

Proclamation 10141 of January 20, 2021 

Ending Discriminatory Bans on Entry to the United States 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

The United States was built on a foundation of religious freedom and tolerance, a principle enshrined in the United States Constitution. Nevertheless, 

the previous administration enacted a number of Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations that prevented certain individuals from entering the 

United States—first from primarily Muslim countries, and later, from largely 

African countries. Those actions are a stain on our national conscience 

and are inconsistent with our long history of welcoming people of all faiths 

and no faith at all. 

Beyond contravening our values, these Executive Orders and Proclamations 

have undermined our national security. They have jeopardized our global 

network of alliances and partnerships and are a moral blight that has dulled 

the power of our example the world over. And they have separated loved 

ones, inflicting pain that will ripple for years to come. They are just plain 

wrong. 

Make no mistake, where there are threats to our Nation, we will address 

them. Where there are opportunities to strengthen information-sharing with 

partners, we will pursue them. And when visa applicants request entry 

to the United States, we will apply a rigorous, individualized vetting system. 

But we will not turn our backs on our values with discriminatory bans 

on entry into the United States. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States, 

by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 

United States of America, including sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), hereby find that 

it is in the interests of the United States to revoke Executive Order 13780 

of March 6, 2017 (Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into 

the United States), Proclamation 9645 of September 24, 2017 (Enhancing 

Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the 

United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats), Proclamation 

9723 of April 10, 2018 (Maintaining Enhanced Vetting Capabilities and 

Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United States by Terrorists 

or Other Public-Safety Threats), and Proclamation 9983 of January 31, 2020 

(Improving Enhanced Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety 

Threats). Our national security will be enhanced by revoking the Executive 

Order and Proclamations. 

Accordingly, I hereby proclaim: 

Section 1. Revocations. Executive Order 13780, and Proclamations 9645, 

9723, and 9983 are hereby revoked. 

Sec. 2. Resumption of Visa Processing and Clearing the Backlog of Cases 

in Waiver Processing. (a) The Secretary of State shall direct all Embassies 

and Consulates, consistent with applicable law and visa processing procedures, including any related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19), to 

resume visa processing in a manner consistent with the revocation of the 


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Executive Order and Proclamations specified in section 1 of this proclamation. 

(b) Within 45 days of the date of this proclamation, the Secretary of 

State shall provide to the President a report that includes the following 

elements: 

(i) The number of visa applicants who were being considered for a waiver 

of restrictions under Proclamation 9645 or 9983 on the date of this proclamation and a plan for expeditiously adjudicating their pending visa applications. 

(ii) A proposal to ensure that individuals whose immigrant visa applications were denied on the basis of the suspension and restriction on entry 

imposed by Proclamation 9645 or 9983 may have their applications reconsidered. This proposal shall consider whether to reopen immigrant visa 

applications that were denied due to the suspension and restriction on 

entry imposed by Proclamation 9645 or 9983, whether it is necessary 

to charge an additional fee to process those visa applications, and development of a plan for the Department of State to expedite consideration 

of those visa applications. 

(iii) A plan to ensure that visa applicants are not prejudiced as a result 

of a previous visa denial due to the suspension and restriction on entry 

imposed by Proclamation 9645 or 9983 if they choose to re-apply for 

a visa. 

Sec. 3. Review of Information-Sharing Relationships and a Plan to Strengthen 

Partnerships. Within 120 days of the date of this proclamation, the Secretary 

of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the 

Director of National Intelligence, shall provide to the President a report 

consisting of the following elements: 

(a) A description of the current screening and vetting procedures for 

those seeking immigrant and nonimmigrant entry to the United States. This 

should include information about any procedures put in place as a result 

of any of the Executive Order and Proclamations revoked in section 1 

of this proclamation and should also include an evaluation of the usefulness 

of form DS–5535. 

(b) A review of foreign government information-sharing practices vis-a`- 

vis the United States in order to evaluate the efficacy of those practices, 

their contribution to processes for screening and vetting those individuals 

seeking entry to the United States as immigrants and nonimmigrants, and 

how the United States ensures the accuracy and reliability of the information 

provided by foreign governments. 

(c) Recommendations to improve screening and vetting activities, including 

diplomatic efforts to improve international information-sharing, use of foreign 

assistance funds, where appropriate, to support capacity building for information-sharing and identity-management practices, and ways to further integrate 

relevant executive department and agency data into the vetting system. 

(d) A review of the current use of social media identifiers in the screening 

and vetting process, including an assessment of whether this use has meaningfully improved screening and vetting, and recommendations in light of 

this assessment. 

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed 

to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, 

or the head thereof; or 

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 

relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. 

(b) This proclamation shall be implemented in a manner consistent with 

applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. 

(c) This proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any right 

or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by 


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any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, 

its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day 

of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the 

Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortyfifth. 

[FR Doc. 2021–01749 

Filed 1–22–21; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3295–F1–P 


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