Bernie Sanders: Donald Trump's new travel ban is 'ideological ammunition for terrorists'

The veteran Democrat calls the order 'a racist and anti-Islamic attempt to divide us up'

Bernie Sanders accused Donald Trump of racism and Islamophobia (Alex Wong/Getty)

Donald Trump has been accused of giving “ideological ammunition to terrorists” by former Democratic presidential nominee Bernie Sanders, after he announced a revised version of his immigrant travel ban.

The veteran senator, who ran against Hillary Clinton, condemned the policy and dismissed White House claims it is needed to protect Americans from terrorism.

“Trump’s Muslim ban isn’t about keeping us safe,” he wrote on Twitter. “A president intent on keeping us safe wouldn't give ideological ammunition to terrorists.

“Let’s call Trump’s travel ban what it is: A racist and anti-Islamic attempt to divide us up.”

In a separate statement, he added: “A president who respected our traditions of religious freedom would not have resorted to hateful, anti-Islamic rhetoric to justify a ban on travel from six mostly Muslim countries."

Mr Trump signed a second immigration executive order earlier this week, outlining the details of the revised travel ban.

The original order was blocked in the courts after it was deemed unconstitutional.

The revised version affects fewer people because it will apply only to new immigration applications and not those with existing US visas, as the original version did.

But similar to his first order as it still specifies that 90-day ban on people from six majority-Muslim countries- Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Only Iraq was dropped from the list of banned countries.

The Trump Administration has defended the measure on the grounds it will help prevent potential terrorists entering the US.

After he signed the executive order, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, said: "As threats to our security continue to evolve and change, common sense dictates that we continually re-evaluate and reassess the systems we rely upon to protect our country.”

Opponents say the policy is, in effect, a "Muslim ban" and will do nothing to increase American security. Some experts have also warned that it will strengthen extremist groups’ claims that the West is the enemy of Muslims and will fuel radicalisation.