New York rally against Trump travel ban
More than a thousand people of various faiths have rallied in New York City in support of Muslim Americans and to protest President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
The "I Am A Muslim Too" rally was held in Times Square on Sunday and was organised by several groups, including the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.
The protesters waved American flags, held signs saying "No Muslim Ban" and chanted "We are One".
Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke at the peaceful rally, saying "we have to dispel the stereotypes" and that America is "a country founded to protect all faiths and all beliefs".
Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons headlined the rally. He said the Muslim community was being used as a scapegoat, but that "diversity will prevail".
Meanwhile it's believed a draft of Trump's revised immigration ban targets the same seven countries listed in his original executive order and exempts travellers who already have a visa to travel to the US, even if they haven't used it yet.
A senior administration official said the order, which Trump revised after federal courts held up his original immigration and refugee ban, will target only those same seven Muslim-majority countries - Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Libya.
The official said that green-card holders and dual citizens of the US and any of those countries are exempt. The new draft also no longer directs authorities to single out - and reject - Syrian refugees when processing new visa applications.
The official noted that the draft is subject to change ahead of its signing, which Trump said could come sometime this week.
Asked about the revised order, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the document circulating was a draft and that a final version should be released soon. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the current draft of the revised order focused on the seven countries but excluded those with green cards.
