AP FACT CHECK: Trump claims on travel ban misleading, wrong

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the face of widespread criticism, President Donald Trump has staunchly defended his order temporarily banning refugees and nearly all citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries.

According to a federal law enforcement official briefed on the implementation of the order, nearly 400 green-card holders actually were delayed after arriving at U.S. airports after the travel ban was signed.

The chaos and protests at airports around the country began before that happened and were related to the travel ban, not delayed or cancelled flights.

According to State Department data, 9,388 Iraqi refugees were admitted to the United States during the 2011 budget year.

The Obama administration did slow processing for Iraqi nationals seeking refuge in the U.S. under the government's Special Immigrant Visa program for translators and interpreters who worked with American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In the same statement, he said "The seven countries named in the Executive Order are the same countries previously identified by the Obama administration as sources of terror."

The Republican-led Congress in 2015 voted to require visas and additional security checks for foreign citizens who normally wouldn't need visas — such as those from Britain — if they had visited the seven countries:

The executive order signed Friday does not specifically say Muslims can't visit the U.S., but it does create a temporary total travel ban for citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries.

[...] they must be approved for travel in advance by supplying background information to the U.S. government.

Any other foreigner looking to visit or move to America for school or work has to get in line for a visa and be subjected to a variety of background checks, including reviews by federal law enforcement and intelligence.