Trump admin mulls new travel ban, but no decisions made yet
No decisions have been made about whether to enact a potential travel ban on more than 40 countries, a White House official told Fox News Digital on Monday.
The countries may face severe or total travel limitations instituted by the United States, according to reports from Reuters and the New York Times. Fox News Digital was not able to independently confirm details of the proposed program.
The outlets reported that citizens of Afghanistan, Iran, Cuba, Bhutan, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Venezuela, and Yemen would not be allowed to enter the U.S. under the proposal. These 11 countries would be placed under the "red" level in the color-coded system, according to the reports.
During a State Department briefing on Monday, spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said that a list does not exist, but there is an ongoing review.
"Well, first of all, there is no list," she said. "What people are looking at over these last several days is not a list that exists here that is being acted on. There is a review, as we know through the president's executive order, for us to look at the nature of what's gonna help keep America safer when dealing with the issue of visas and who's allowed into the country.
"But what has being touted as something as an item through the State Department just simply isn't the case."Other countries, like Russia and Pakistan, would still have travel permitted — as opposed to a total ban — but would still face hurdles when it comes to getting a visa. That tier is considered the "orange" level.
Various countries, including many in Africa, are reportedly also being monitored for potential restrictions on the "yellow" level and would have roughly two months to make changes to avoid being placed on the "orange" or "red" levels. The yellow level allegedly includes Caribbean nations, including St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, as well as Antigua and Barbuda.
Reuters reports that 41 countries would be affected in some way, though the Times puts the number at 43 nations.
Early in the first Trump administration, an executive order banning travel from Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Libya faced legal hurdles and was derided as a "Muslim ban" by opponents due to the demographics of those nations. Proponents at the time argued it was needed to ensure a strict process for keeping track of who's entering the country.
When President Trump signed the executive order banning travel and implementing "extreme vetting" for certain countries in January of 2017, he issued a statement that said in part, "To be clear, this is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting. This is not about religion – this is about terror and keeping our country safe."
"There are over 40 different countries worldwide that are majority Muslim that are not affected by this order." Trump said at the time.
Meanwhile, criticism is already developing over the new looming proposal.
"Today's the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, all too timely and relevant in our current moment. With the threat of diminished civil liberties and a so-called Muslim travel ban allegedly in the works, New Yorkers must stay united and refuse to engage in hate and bigotry," New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams posted to X on Saturday.
"I hope someone at [the State Department] reviews this list and notices that any kind of [travel ban] on Bhutan, a peaceful, landlocked Himalayan Buddhist kingdom (population: ~800,000) wedged between India and China, is utterly insane," American Enterprise Institute fellow Sadanand Dhume said in an X post.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment in time for publication. Customs and Border Protection said they "cannot comment on internal documents."
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