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Middle East Eye
13 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
'We don't want them': Trump issues latest iteration of controversial travel ban
US President Donald Trump instituted a long-anticipated travel ban on Thursday, prohibiting US entry to citizens from 12 countries and restricting the entry of citizens from seven others. Trump's proclamation 'fully' restricts nationals from largely African and Muslim countries, including Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and Myanmar from entering the US. It also partially restricts nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. In a video he released on social media on Thursday, Trump said the Colorado attack had 'underscored the extreme dangers posed by foreign nationals who are not properly vetted'. The suspect in the attack is alleged to be an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa and previously lived in Kuwait. Rumors had been circulating for months about what countries would be on the list after Trump signed an executive order on 20 January and gave the US State Department 60 days to identify countries for which 'vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries'. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters According to the Trump administration, the ban is designed to 'protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes'. How does the ban work? The order goes into effect at midnight on 9 June, and both the full and partial bans apply to foreign nationals from the designated countries who are outside the country on 9 June and do not have a valid visa as of that day. The proclamation outlines that no visas issued before that date will be revoked. Citizens from countries facing a complete ban will not be issued any non-immigrant or immigrant visas. Countries facing a partial restriction will see the suspension of entry of all immigrants and the following temporary visas: B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas. The order has made room for exceptions including the following: any lawful permanent resident of the United States; dual nationals; diplomats travelling on valid non-immigrant visas; athletes or members of an athletic team and immediate relatives; travelling for the World Cup, the Olympics or other major sporting event; immediate family immigrant visas; adoptions; Afghan special immigrant visas; special immigrant visas for United States government employees; immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran. 'Unecessary and ideologically motivated' Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Muslim civil rights organisation, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement released on Wednesday that Trump's new travel ban 'is overbroad, unnecessary and ideologically motivated'. 'Are they troublemakers?': Trump questions why Harvard has so many international students Read More » He criticised the targeting of mostly Muslim and African nations and said it raised 'the specter of more vague free speech restrictions'. "Automatically banning students, workers, tourists, and other citizens of these targeted nations from coming to the United States will not make our nation safer." He added that the screening tests being undertaken by the US government were "vague" and could easily be abused to ban immigrants based on religion or political activism. He said the new travel ban risks separating families, deprives students of educational opportunities, blocks patients from accessing unique medical treatment, and would create a chilling effect on travellers. 'Automatically banning anyone based on their nationality or vague allegations of 'hostile attitudes' to American culture or policies undermines our nation's values,' he added. World reacts Like Trump's controversial tariffs, the latest iteration of the travel ban has continued to ruffle feathers and wear leaders down. Venezuela's interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, lambasted the Trump administration as 'bad people' on state television, saying 'they are supremacists who think they own the world and persecute our people for no reason". "The truth is being in the United States is a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans," he added. Meanwhile, the ban prompted Chad's president, Mahamat Deby, to issue a reciprocal ban on US citizens. In a statement, he said, 'Chad has no planes to offer, no billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and pride'. Republic of Congo government spokesman Thierry Moungalla told a news conference he thought it was 'a misunderstanding'. 'Congo is not a terrorist country, does not harbour any terrorists, is not known to have a terrorist inclination,' he said. The Somali ambassador to the US, Dahir Hassan Abdi, took a more resigned tone. He said in a statement that Mogadishu 'values its longstanding relationship with the United States. [Somalia] stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised'. Trump's history with travel bans Six of the countries on the new list were on different iterations of Trump's 2017 predominantly Muslim travel ban list, and continue to remain on the banned list. These countries include Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and Venezuela. Trump upset national sensibilities when he issued a "Muslim" travel ban within a week of taking office during his first term in January 2017. The countries on his original list were seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The order also indefinitely suspended the entry of Syrian refugees This order affected individuals regardless of their immigration status, including green card holders and those with employment-based visas. Travellers with valid visas and permanent residency were denied entry. Following large-scale protests and chaos at airports, courts pushed back on the ban, leading to the first ban being blocked by a temporary restraining order in Washington v. Trump in February 2017. US judge blocks Trump order banning foreign students at Harvard University Read More » Three more iterations of the ban followed, leading to numerous lawsuits being filed in federal court against the Trump administration. One of the most successful lawsuits was Trump v Hawaii, a lawsuit on behalf of the state of Hawaii, where the Muslim Association of Hawaii, Dr Ismail Elshikh, and two John Doe plaintiffs challenged the various iterations of the ban. After Trump issued the second iteration of the ban in March 2017, the Hawaii district court issued a nationwide injunction against the second version of the ban, which was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on 12 June 2017. The Court prohibited the government from enforcing the ban against foreign nationals who possess a 'bona fide relationship' with a person or entity in the US. But the government interpreted that ruling narrowly, issuing new guidance that would still ban 'grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, fiancés, and any other 'extended' family members' on the theory that they are not 'close' family. In July 2017, the Hawaii district court ruled that this definition 'represents the antithesis of common sense' and prevented the government from enforcing it. After a government appeal, the Ninth Circuit largely left the district court's order relating to travel, in place, while staying part of the order relating to refugees. Trump issued a third iteration of the ban in September 2017, and the lawsuit returned to the Hawaii district court. The court ruled that it violated the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Ninth Circuit affirmed, but the Supreme Court permitted Muslim Ban 3.0 to go into effect as appeals progressed. In January 2018, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case and eventually reversed the grant of a preliminary injunction after a 5–4 decision. The third iteration of the ban imposed full visa restrictions on citizens from eight nations, six of them predominantly Muslim. These countries included Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, and Somalia. Iranian nationals were allowed to enter under valid student (F and M) and exchange visitor (J) visas, although such individuals were subject to 'enhanced screening and vetting requirements'. In January 2020, a fourth travel ban was instituted and included additional countries such as Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania, which restricted applications to immigrants from those countries but did not restrict entry by non-immigrants.
Sharjah 24
16 hours ago
- Sharjah 24
Trump signs proclamation banning citizens from 12 countries
Part of broader immigration crackdown The directive is part of Trump's broader immigration agenda in his second term, which includes mass deportations, restrictions on student visas, and removal of suspected gang members—especially Venezuelans—back to their home country. Countries affected by the travel ban The ban fully restricts entry from the following 12 countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. In addition, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela face partial travel restrictions. Trump: Security first In a video posted on X, Trump said: 'We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm.' He noted that the list could be revised and that new countries might be added. The order goes into effect on June 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT. Visas issued before that date will remain valid. African Union expresses concern The African Union Commission raised concerns about the impact of the travel ban on diplomacy, trade, and educational exchanges. In a statement, it called on the US to engage in 'constructive dialogue' with the affected nations and adopt a more consultative approach. Background: Trump's previous travel bans During his first term (2017–2021), Trump imposed a travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries—a policy that faced legal battles but was eventually upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. His successor, Joe Biden, repealed the ban in 2021, calling it 'a stain on our national conscience.' Reasons cited for ban Trump said the most heavily restricted countries harbor a strong terrorist presence, lack proper identity verification systems, and have poor visa record-keeping and high overstay rates. 'We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter,' he said. He referenced a recent incident in Colorado involving a gasoline bomb attack by an Egyptian national with an expired visa, although Egypt is not on the current ban list. Mixed international reactions Somalia pledged to work with the U.S. to address concerns, reaffirming its strong ties with Washington. In contrast, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello criticized the ban, calling the US government fascist and warning Venezuelans of the risks of staying in the U.S. Other countries, including Afghanistan and Myanmar, did not immediately respond to the policy. Personal Impact: Programmes and dreams disrupted The ban has already begun to affect individuals. A 31-year-old teacher from Myanmar, accepted into a U.S. exchange programme, said her plans are now uncertain. 'It is not easy to apply nor get accepted,' she said, expressing frustration at the lack of updates after the ban announcement. Policy roots and political strategy Trump previewed this expanded travel ban during a 2023 campaign speech, targeting several regions including Gaza, Libya, and Somalia. He also signed an executive order in January requiring stricter vetting for all foreign nationals entering the US Initial report and media coverage The new travel restrictions were first reported by CBS News, while Reuters had earlier indicated that such measures were under consideration for dozens of countries.
Dubai Eye
a day ago
- Dubai Eye
Trump bans nationals from 12 countries, citing security concerns
US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning the nationals of 12 countries from entering the US, saying the move was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats. The countries affected are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, will be partially restricted. The travel restrictions were first reported by CBS News. "We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm," Trump said in a video posted on X. He said the list could be revised and new countries could be added. The proclamation is effective on June 9, 2025. Visas issued before that date will not be revoked, the order said. During his first term in office, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. Former President Joe Biden, a Democrat who succeeded Trump, repealed the ban in 2021, calling it "a stain on our national conscience". Trump said the countries subject to the most severe restrictions were determined to harbor a "large-scale presence of terrorists," fail to cooperate on visa security and have an inability to verify travelers' identities, inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the US. "We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States," Trump said. He cited Sunday's incident in Boulder, Colorado in which a man tossed a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators as an example of why the new restrictions are needed. An Egyptian national, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, has been charged in the attack. Federal officials said Soliman had overstayed his tourist visa and had an expired work permit - although Egypt is not on the list of countries facing travel limits. Being in the US is a 'Big Risk' Somalia immediately pledged to work with the US to address security issues. "Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the US and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised," Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the US, said in a statement. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a close ally of President Nicolas Maduro, responded on Wednesday evening by describing the US government as fascist and warning Venezuelans of being in the US. "The truth is being in the US is a big risk for anybody, not just for persecute our countrymen, our people for no reason." Calls early on Thursday to the spokesperson of Myanmar's military government were not answered. The foreign ministry of Laos did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump's directive is part of an immigration crackdown that he launched at the start of his second term. He previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and "anywhere else that threatens our security". Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the US to detect national security threats. That order directed several cabinet members to submit a list of countries from which travel should be partly or fully suspended because their "vetting and screening information is so deficient". In March, Reuters reported that the Trump administration was considering travel restrictions on dozens of countries.
