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USA Today
3 days ago
- USA Today
Which country has the most visitors impacted by Trump's travel restrictions?
Which country has the most visitors impacted by Trump's travel restrictions? South Florida, home to large Venezuelan, Haitian and Cuban communities, will be hit hard by Trump's travel ban Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump bans travel from several countries around the world President Donald Trump signed a proclamation that bans travel from 12 countries and restricts seven others. Reaction to President Donald Trump's new travel bans was swift in South Florida, home to what are believed to be the largest Venezuelan, Haitian and Cuban communities in the United States. "I am deeply concerned by this decision which further divides us as Americans and harms hardworking families contributing to the essential fabric of our community," Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a June 5 social media post. "The work of our federal government should be to protect our borders and pass comprehensive immigration reform, not tear down our communities." Trump's proclamation, signed on June 4, takes effect June 9. The administration cited security reasons for the bans on travelers from a dozen countries and restrictions on those from seven others. It prohibits entry into the U.S. of foreign nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Travel restrictions, including suspensions, will be placed on those from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Of the nearly 1.7 million visas issued to people from those countries between 2014 and 2023, almost half were from Venezuela. They reunited with family, shopped and visited Disney World and other theme parks and attractions, according to recent media and social media accounts. Venezuelans and Haitians speak out against the travel ban The proclamation suspends entry into the United States for Venezuelan nationals with temporary work, study and tourist visas. "Venezuela lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures," the proclamation said. It also mentioned the overstay rate on visas from the country is nearly 10%. A mother from Venezuela who moved to South Florida six years ago told CBS News she's unsure whether her adult son, who remains in the South American country, will be allowed to visit her. The announcement also prompted concern among bloggers who write about Disney parks in California and Florida, who questioned the impact the restrictions could have on the thousands who visit the parks each year from Venezuela. Members of South Florida's Haitian community also spoke out about the ban. More than 230,000 native Haitians live in the metropolitan area, roughly 4% of the region's population, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Marleine Bastien, who was born in Haiti and now serves on the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, said she's "deeply disheartened" by the ban. In a statement, she called it "cruel and xenophobic" and a "blatant attempt to scapegoat an already suffering people." "This unjust policy will sow chaos in our communities, separating families, and disrupting lives," said Bastien, founder of Family Action Network Movement, a South Florida-based organization. The decision is a "betrayal of the values America claims to uphold – compassion, justice, and opportunity for all," she said. Haitians averaged 24,337 non-immigrant visas for the U.S. over a decade and Cubans averaged 12,464. Travel from the countries plunged during the pandemic but had begun to increase again by 2023. Haitians received 10,515 non-immigrant visas that year and Cubans received 6,146. Trump's proclamation stated he had directed the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and others to identify countries where the vetting and screening information is "so deficient as to warrant a full or partial suspension" of nationals of those countries into the U.S. and the group had found a number of countries deficient. Rubio, a South Florida native whose parents migrated from Cuba in 1956, shared on X a post from the White House, attributed to Trump: "We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen … That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others." USA TODAY looked at how many visas were distributed to foreign nationals from the countries in question over the past decade. A nonimmigrant visa is a temporary document, issued for tourism, temporary work, medical care, study or business. How many visitor's visas were issued? Combined, foreign nationals in the countries now facing travel bans accounted for fewer than 63,000 non-immigrant visas in 2023, the most recent year for which statistics are available. At least two dozen other countries not included in the ban each accounted for more visitor visas that year. While Venezuela leads all the 19 recently restricted countries in visitors to the U.S., Iranians received 17,634 non-immigrant visas in 2023, more than any of the dozen countries facing total travel bans. Myanmar, which U.S. documents recognize as Burma, received the next-most with 13,284. Here are the number of non-immigrant visas granted to nationalities of the other countries facing bans: Sudan, 4,506 Yemen, 4,204 Afghanistan, 2,665 Libya, 2,259 Congo Republic, 2,175 Chad, 2,090 Equatorial Guinea, 1,534 Eritrea, 931 Somalia, 463 Looking at the decade overall, Haitians topped the list, receiving the most non-immigrant visas among the banned countries at 243,369. Iran was second with 162,356 and Burma/Myanmar was third with 115,520. Among the countries facing travel restrictions rather than bans, foreign nationals from five of those – Sierra Leone, Togo, Laos, Turkmenistan and Burundi – received fewer than 8,500 non immigrant visas combined in 2023. Which country's residents received the most non-immigrant visas? Mexico led the world at 2.3 million non-immigrant visas in 2023. The figure also includes border crossing cards, laminated cards that allow Mexicans to cross the border between the nations for periods of less than 30 days. More than 1.3 million people planning to visit the U.S. from India received non-immigrant visas in 2023 and 1.06 million from Brazil. Other countries whose nationalities received the most visiting visas in 2023 include: Colombia, 476,293 China, 417,008 Argentina, 291,892 Ecuador, 274,799 Philippines, 285,860 Israel, 190,415 Vietnam, 133,781 Dominican Republic, 130,360 Turkey, 130,168 Nigeria, 113,695 Peru, 111,851 Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writes about climate change, violent weather and other news. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
New York Times
11-04-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Miami-Dade Mayor Vetoes Plan to Remove Fluoride From Drinking Water
The mayor of Miami-Dade County on Friday said she would veto legislation that would remove fluoride from the drinking water in Florida's most populous county, pushing back on a growing campaign against the mineral used to prevent cavities. The veto by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, a Democrat, comes at a moment when critics of adding fluoride to the water supply have a newly powerful ally: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's health secretary, who this week called for states to ban fluoride in drinking water. Utah recently became the first state to outlaw adding fluoride to public water, and several other states, including Florida, are considering similar action. 'The science is very clear,' Ms. Levine Cava said at a news conference on Friday. She added, 'ending fluoridation could have real and lasting harm, especially for children and families who cannot afford regular dental care.' The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, a nonpartisan body, approved the measure to ban fluoride on April 1 in an 8 to 2 vote, with three commissioners absent. Nine votes are needed to override the mayor's veto if all 13 are present, and it is unclear whether there will be enough support. The next scheduled board meeting is on May 6. Six of the 13 commissioners are Republican, including Kevin Marino Cabrera, an ally of Mr. Trump's who will soon depart to become the country's ambassador to Panama. Ms. Levine Cava is now the state's highest-ranking elected Democrat, with Republicans having swept every other countywide elected office in Miami-Dade — including sheriff and elections supervisor — last year. Many experts have warned that removing fluoride from drinking water would be detrimental to oral health, and particularly cavity prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called fluoridation one of the '10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.' But wariness about fluoride has taken on new life in recent years, especially after the coronavirus pandemic eroded trust in public health interventions. Opponents say they want to protect bodily autonomy and have raised concerns about the possible cognitive effects in children. They point to a recent review paper, where an analysis of 74 studies conducted by researchers with the National Institutes of Health found that there was a connection between lower I.Q. scores in children with high levels of childhood or prenatal fluoride exposure. (The levels studied were twice as high as those recommended by the C.D.C., and some research has found no link.) Ms. Levine Cava's veto puts her at odds with Mr. Kennedy and other fluoride skeptics in the Trump administration, as well as with Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and his appointed surgeon general, Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, who has been traveling around the state to speak against fluoridated water. 'Do we want forced medication or do we want people to be able to choose medication?' Mr. DeSantis said recently. 'When you are forcing it into the water supply, that's not really giving people a choice.' Ahead of the mayor's announcement, Dr. Ladapo, who has also called for a halt to using Covid vaccines, publicly urged Miami-Dade residents to ask the mayor to support the fluoride ban. 'I'll never understand how anyone feels entitled to add drugs to the water that other people drink,' he said. Fluoride was first introduced to a city's water supply in 1945 and began to become common practice across the country in the following decades. Studies show a direct correlation between fluoridation and an improvement in oral health. 'The growing distrust of credible, time-tested, evidence-based science is disheartening,' Dr. Brett Kessler, the president of the American Dental Association, said in a statement this week. 'When government officials, like Secretary Kennedy, stand behind the commentary of misinformation and distrust peer-reviewed research, it is injurious to public health.' Fluoridating water has been debated for years, in part because experts say that excessive exposure to fluoride over a long period can cause health problems. Federally mandated levels have lowered over the years, including after a recent court order. On Monday, Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, announced a decision to 'expeditiously review new scientific information on potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water.' 'Without prejudging any outcomes, when this evaluation is completed, we will have an updated foundational scientific evaluation,' Mr. Zeldin said in a statement. He credited Mr. Kennedy for having 'long been at the forefront of this issue.' At a Miami-Dade commission meeting in April, most people who spoke during the public comment portion were against fluoridation. Days after the meeting, Ms. Levine Cava held a round-table discussion with doctors, dentists and others in the community that focused on its benefits. Nearly 20 other cities and county governments in Florida have voted to remove fluoride from their water supplies since the November election. Among those, Miami-Dade County, with about 2.7 million people, is by far the largest. A bill under debate in the Florida Legislature would bar local municipalities from adding fluoride to water. Miami-Dade's politics have shifted sharply to the right in recent years, reflecting Florida's transformation from a battleground state into one that votes reliably Republican. In November, Mr. Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the county since 1988. The measure in Miami-Dade County would require the county to stop adding fluoride to the water supply within 30 days.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
In Miami, you may soon be able to drive down ‘Grind With Me Terrace'
Drivers may soon cruise down 'Grind With Me Terrace' as they navigate Miami. They might turn right onto 'Act Up Street' or find parking on 'Big Money Baller Street.' At rush hour, navigation apps may warn that there's a traffic delay on 'It's Ya Birthday Street.' Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. All signs point to a one-of-a-kind effort in Miami. The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners is considering a proposal that would rename two dozen streets after songs by rap and hip-hop artists hailing from the metro area. The debate has split the county commissioners, who spent hours last week weighing whether titles like 'We the Best' and 'Still Da Baddest' should hang from street signs in Miami's Liberty City neighborhood. Supporters of the proposal say it celebrates the city's culture and legacy, and would uplift an otherwise neglected area. Opponents question whether the street names are appropriate and how the change might impact local businesses. Commissioner Keon Hardemon, the bill's sponsor, said the proposal would breathe life into the city's Northwest 18th Avenue corridor. The area in recent years has been plagued by dilapidated buildings, substandard housing, broken sidewalks and little lighting - symptoms of an overall lack of investment, he said. 'It's bigger than the street names,' he said, adding, 'Miami has a storied history in the music scene. These are all names or lyrics that people will instantly recognize and truly just reflect a good time and positive feelings about Miami culture.' The proposal, first reported by the Miami Herald, runs the gamut of artists born or based in Miami-Dade, including Trina, Flo Rida, Uncle Luke and City Girls. Liberty City, where the signs would be installed, is a historically Black northern Miami neighborhood that's the subject of a major county redevelopment project. Other proposed street names would honor Betty Wright's 'No Pain, No Gain,' Major Nine's 'Soul Ties,' and 'Born N Raised,' a track from DJ Khaled, Pitbull, Rick Ross and Trick Daddy. 'It's establishing a space unlike any place in America - a place where you can actually come and interact with Miami history,' Hardemon said. 'It is a place I envision people will come because it is unique, because it has funny sayings that they know. It has such a role in our history, and it also really gives a reason for people to smile at street names and say, 'Hey, this is something different.'' Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins wasn't convinced. 'How do you get to my house? Oh, go up 18th Avenue and make a right on 'Poor Little [Rich] Girl Street' and make a left on 'Big Money Baller Street' and, right in front of 'Chase This [Dis] Money Street,' you can find the corner store where we can meet,' Cohen Higgins said during a commissioners meeting last week. 'It kind of opens the door to us naming streets in ways I don't feel comfortable about. I don't want 'Back That Azz Up Boulevard' anywhere in Miami-Dade County, for example.' Cohen Higgins asked what the move might do to the area's property values - and insisted that community members needed a chance to share their thoughts. 'Their address is going to change to '89 Poor Little Rich Girl Street,'' Cohen Higgins said. 'This is not naming street names after legendary artists that have been pillars in our community. These street names include slang.' (At the same meeting, commissioners agreed to rename a road in honor of Miami rap legend Luther 'Uncle Luke' Campbell - dubbing it Luther Campbell Way.) One commissioner likened the unorthodox plan to wearing sneakers with a suit - a display that merges cultural worlds. Another commissioner argued that this move may perpetuate stereotypes about the neighborhood and its residents. After nearly two hours of debate, the commissioners remained divided, voting 5-5. They agreed to reconsider the issue at their meeting next Tuesday. Hardemon is hopeful that his street names will get a green light this time. Related Content DOGE wants them 'gone' but makes it hard for federal workers to move on NIH reels with fear, uncertainty about future of scientific research After Trump threats, Hong Kong firm to sell stake in Panama Canal ports
