What to Know About Trump's New Travel Ban

Miami Herald

2 days ago

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a travel ban on citizens of 12 countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, aiming to prevent or severely limit their entry to the United States.
The policy is similar to a ban that Trump put into effect in 2017, during his first term. It is the latest move in the administration's crackdown on immigration and was set to take effect Monday.
What countries are on the list?
A full travel ban will affect citizens of the following countries:
-- Afghanistan
-- Chad
-- Republic of Congo
-- Equatorial Guinea
-- Eritrea
-- Haiti
-- Iran
-- Libya
-- Myanmar
-- Somalia
-- Sudan
-- Yemen
Partial restrictions will apply to citizens of other countries, meaning they cannot come to the country permanently or apply for certain visas. They are:
-- Burundi
-- Cuba
-- Laos
-- Sierra Leone
-- Togo
-- Turkmenistan
-- Venezuela
What is the administration saying?
Trump, who announced the ban in a proclamation, said it was intended to protect 'the national security and national interest of the United States and its people.' It is his latest effort to further restrict immigration since returning to office in January, coming after his administration blocked asylum-seekers at the southern border, barred international students from Harvard University and ordered immigration raids across the country.
Cabinet officials in April had identified a list of countries where vetting and screening information surrounding visa applicants was 'deficient' enough to warrant a full or partial suspension, the action said.
The order accused many countries of the list of exploiting the U.S. visa system and failing to cooperate with the United States on deportations. The action said citizens of some countries had a higher risk of overstaying their visas, which added to burdens on law enforcement agencies.
The announcement came days after an Egyptian man who overstayed his visa was arrested in Colorado and charged with attacking a group honoring hostages being held in the Gaza Strip. But Egypt is not subject to the ban.
What are the exceptions?
The new travel ban does not apply to people with visas who are already in the United States, and it includes a few other exemptions.
For example, Afghans eligible for the Special Immigrant Visa program, which is for those who helped the U.S. government during the war in Afghanistan, are excepted from the ban.
Other exceptions include green card holders, dual citizens and athletes or coaches traveling for a major sporting event held in the United States, like the World Cup or the Olympics.
What are the reactions from the banned countries?
The announcement provoked swift reaction from some of the affected countries.
Venezuela's interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, called the U.S. government 'fascist,' saying that 'being in the United States is a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans.'
The African Union released a statement Thursday expressing concern and noting 'the potential negative impact' the move could have on interpersonal relationships, commerce, education and 'diplomatic relations that have been carefully nurtured over decades.'
Somalia's ambassador to the United States -- whose country Trump's order labeled a 'terrorist safe haven' -- took a more conciliatory approach. The ambassador, Dahir Hassan Abdi, said in a statement that his government was 'ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised.'
The State Department issued about 170,000 visas last year to people from the 12 countries on the list, most of which were nonimmigrant visitor visas for tourism, business or study. That is a small fraction of the millions of visas it issues every year.
How does this compare with the last Trump travel ban?
In 2017, shortly after taking office, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven mostly Muslim-majority countries. (Five of those countries are on the list again.) The move, announced in an executive order, took effect immediately and caused chaos, with hundreds of travelers being detained at airports. After a legal battle, the Supreme Court eventually permitted a rewritten ban, and the list of countries later evolved. President Joe Biden ended the ban after taking office.
The new ban includes countries in more parts of the world and could affect more people than the bans Trump introduced during his first term.
This time around, Trump's effort is more likely to withstand legal scrutiny, experts said, partly because of a longer lead-up to the announcement and the range of countries affected.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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