The number of visas issued to visitors from Donald Trump’s seven travel ban countries halved this April compared to last year.
According to preliminary government data analysed by Reuters, the total number of US non-immigrant visas issued to people from any country was also down by 15 per cent on the average monthly figure for 2016.
The new data suggests a drop in visas issued to travellers from the seven Muslim-majority countries subject to President Trump’s temporary bans.
President Trump’s controversial January executive order has been repeatedly blocked by US courts after it was met with outrage.
However, people from Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Libya were granted about 2,800 visitors’ visas in April 2017, whereas the average month in the fiscal year of 2016 saw 5,700 issued.
The data was made public by the state department after the US leader ordered it to publish monthly figures. But the number of visa applications has not been made available, making it difficult to explain the drop.
It could be due to a higher rejection rate, but other factors could be slow processing times or a smaller number of applicants.
"Visa demand is cyclical, not uniform throughout the year, and affected by various factors at the local and international level," said William Cocks, a spokesman for the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, according to Reuters.
The executive order that placed temporary blocks on people from seven mostly-Muslim countries travelling to the US was signed on January 27 and was set to last for 90 days.
Mr Trump justified the highly controversial order on the grounds of national security.
Federal courts overturned the ban, so Mr Trump’s administration issued a new, revised order that did not include Iraq.
However, that has also been blocked.
On Thursday, a US appeals court branded the order discriminatory and refused to reinstate it.
