“…so you can't just wish it did not exist and offer that as a policy.”
I’m not wishing it didn’t exist. It makes no difference to me as I do not qualify for dual citizenship and I would not contemplate it even if I was. Because nations allow it does necessarily make it right or desirable. I’m simply pointing out why this problem has arisen for those with dual citizenship. If they had chosen one nationality or the other they would at least know where they stood.
Sir Mo will probably be OK (since his matter seems to be of overwhelming importance):
“…though the order indicates that individuals can be approved for entry by federal officials on a case-by-case basis. One law enforcement official told the Associated Press that there was also an exemption for foreigners whose entry is in U.S. national interest.”
"Dual citizenship is irrelevant. The ban is on those who are born in one of the countries listed by the Trump administration."
I don’t know where you got that idea from, sp. You may be right, but the little I’ve read suggests otherwise:
The US State Department said: "Travellers who have nationality or dual nationality of one of these [seven] countries will not be permitted for 90 days to enter the United States or be issued an immigrant or non-immigrant visa. “Those nationals or dual nationals holding valid immigrant or non-immigrant visas will not be permitted to enter the United States during this period. Visa interviews will generally not be scheduled for nationals of these countries during this period.”
The actual text of Mr Trumps edict says this:
It is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from foreign nationals who intend to commit terrorist attacks in the United States; and to prevent the admission of foreign nationals who intend to exploit United States immigration laws for malevolent purposes.
And goes on to say:
“I hereby proclaim that the immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of aliens from countries referred to in section 217(a)(12) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12), would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and I hereby suspend entry into the United States, as immigrants and nonimmigrants, of such persons for 90 days from the date of this order (excluding those foreign nationals traveling on diplomatic visas, North Atlantic Treaty Organization visas, C-2 visas for travel to the United Nations, and G-1, G-2, G-3, and G-4 visas).”
Only mention, then, of “foreign nationals” or "dual nationals". No mention of people simply born in the countries listed.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security a foreign national is defined simply as "an individual who is a citizen of any country other than the United States."
So, people holding dual nationality (US/A N Other) are citizens of a country other than the United States (and so are foreign nationals) and if their second country is one of the seven they are banned under the edict. People born in (say) Somalia but now holding exclusive UK citizenship are also foreign nationals but not citizens of one of the seven pariah nations and so are not banned. So it is the dual citizenship that creates their difficulty.