Latest news with #pro-Jewish
USA Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump travel ban includes 12 nations, partially restricts entry from seven others
Trump travel ban includes 12 nations, partially restricts entry from seven others 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. WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump has issued a full travel ban blocking the entry of foreign nationals from 12 countries into the United States, reviving a controversial policy from his first term that is likely to be challenged in court. Trump cited "national security risks" posed by citizens of the targeted nations, which include several Middle Eastern and African countries, in a June 4 proclamation he signed imposing the ban. He also partially restricted the entry of foreign nationals from seven other nations. The restrictions are scheduled to go into effect on June 9. The ban 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. Trump issued partial travel suspensions for foreign nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Trump presidency: Marco Rubio says US will revoke visas from Chinese students, add new restrictions In videotaped remarks from the Oval Office, Trump pointed to last weekend's fiery assault on pro-Jewish demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, carried out by suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a native of Egypt who came to the U.S. on a tourist visa in late 2022 and stayed after the visa expired. "The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstayed their visas," Trump said. "We don't want them." Egypt is not among the countries facing new restrictions despite Trump invoking the attack, which the White House has blamed on the Biden administration's immigration policies. Trump's travel ban: A timeline look throughout his first presidency Who faces a travel ban? The move comes after the Trump administration has worked aggressively to deport immigrants who are in the United States unlawfully, halted the government's refugee resettlement program, and last week announced plans to "aggressively" revoke visas of Chinese students. The ban resembles similar actions Trump took during his first term to bar the entry of foreign nationals from several predominantly Muslim countries. The restrictions do not apply to visas that have already been granted, lawful permanent residents, certain athletes, immediate family members of current visa holders, and other classes of individuals for whom the administration granted exceptions. Travelers react to the latest travel ban from President Trump "Pros and cons." Travelers in Los Angeles responded to the news of President Donald Trump's travel ban impacting nearly 20 countries. "In the 21st century, we've seen one terror attack after another carried out by foreign-visa overstayers from dangerous places. They should not be in our country," Trump said. "We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America." Council on American-Islamic Relations Executive Director Nihad Awad said the government already vets visa applicants extensively. The new order risks separating families, depriving students of educational opportunities and blocking patients from unique medical treatment, he said. "President Trump's new travel ban targeting mostly Muslim and African nations and raising the specter of more vague free speech restrictions is overbroad, unnecessary and ideologically motivated,' Awad said. "Automatically banning students, workers, tourists, and other citizens of these targeted nations from coming to the United States will not make our nation safer." Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said in a post on social media that the antisemitic attack in Boulder shouldn't be used to justify a ban on travel from primarily Muslim-majority countries. 'We'll keep saying it: the Jewish community's legitimate fears and concerns should not (be) exploited to undermine core democratic norms, or otherwise advance discriminatory & unconstitutional policies,' Spitalnick said. 'Doing so only makes Jews – and all communities – less safe.' Rep. Judy Chu, a California Democrat who introduced legislation in February that sought to prevent the Trump administration from banning travel to the U.S. by people of any religious group, lashed out at Trump on X. "Just now, Trump has re-issued his disgusting, bigoted, and Islamophobic travel ban. This goes against our core American values while doing nothing to make us safer. We can do better, we must do better," she said. What travelers need to know: Trump issues new travel ban affecting nearly 20 countries Trump revisits travel bans Trump's first-term travel bans were overturned repeatedly in the courts for apparent religious or racial motivations before being upheld by the Supreme Court. Within hours of the new ban, the International Refugee Assistance Project, a group that sued Trump in 2017, slammed the ban as arbitrary for making exceptions for athletes traveling to the United States for sporting events such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, "while closing the door to ordinary people who've gone through extensive legal processes to enter the United States." "It is yet another shameful attempt by the Trump administration to sow division, fear, and chaos," Stephanie Gee, senior director of U.S. Legal Services, said in a statement. Trump's latest ban follows through on a day-one executive order directing his administration to identify countries throughout the world "for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a full or partial suspension on the entry or admission of nationals from those countries." Trump said he evaluated recommendations from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi based on foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism goals and largely accepted their recommendations. Factors included whether a county "has a significant terrorist presence within its territory" or a high rate of people overstaying their visas, Trump's order said. The president said the administration also considered a country's "cooperation with accepting back its removable nationals." At one point, the administration looked at slapping as many as 43 countries with restrictions. Egypt was not on either of the draft lists that circulated in March. The president said in the order that Rubio and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller provided him a list on April 9 of countries to consider. The White House did not immediately explain why it took Trump nearly two months after he received the report to take action. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. "Very simply," Trump said, "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." Contributing: Bart Jansen, USA TODAY Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
President Trump bans travel from 12 nations, partially restricts entry from seven others
WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump has issued a full travel ban blocking the entry of foreign nationals from 12 countries into the United States, reviving a controversial policy from his first term that is likely to be challenged in court. Trump cited "national security risks" posed by citizens of the targeted nations, which include several Middle Eastern and African countries, in a June 4 proclamation he signed imposing the ban. He also partially restricted the entry of foreign nationals from seven other nations. The restrictions are scheduled to go into effect on June 9. The ban 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. Trump issued partial travel suspensions for foreign nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Trump presidency: Marco Rubio says US will revoke visas from Chinese students, add new restrictions In videotaped remarks from the Oval Office, Trump pointed to last weekend's fiery assault on pro-Jewish demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, carried out by suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a native of Egypt who came to the U.S. on a tourist visa in late 2022 and stayed after the visa expired. "The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstayed their visas," Trump said. "We don't want them." Egypt is not among the countries facing new restrictions despite Trump invoking the attack, which the White House has blamed on the Biden administration's immigration policies. Trump's travel ban: A timeline look throughout his first presidency The move comes after the Trump administration has worked aggressively to deport immigrants who are in the United States unlawfully, halted the government's refugee resettlement program, and last week announced plans to "aggressively" revoke visas of Chinese students. The ban resembles similar actions Trump took during his first term to bar the entry of foreign nationals from several predominantly Muslim countries. The restrictions do not apply to visas that have already been granted, lawful permanent residents, certain athletes, immediate family members of current visa holders, and other classes of individuals for whom the administration granted exceptions. "In the 21st century, we've seen one terror attack after another carried out by foreign-visa overstayers from dangerous places. They should not be in our country," Trump said. "We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America." Council on American-Islamic Relations Executive Director Nihad Awad said the government already vets visa applicants extensively. The new order risks separating families, depriving students of educational opportunities and blocking patients from unique medical treatment, he said. "President Trump's new travel ban targeting mostly Muslim and African nations and raising the specter of more vague free speech restrictions is overbroad, unnecessary and ideologically motivated,' Awad said. "Automatically banning students, workers, tourists, and other citizens of these targeted nations from coming to the United States will not make our nation safer." Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said in a post on social media that the antisemitic attack in Boulder shouldn't be used to justify a ban on travel from primarily Muslim-majority countries. 'We'll keep saying it: the Jewish community's legitimate fears and concerns should not (be) exploited to undermine core democratic norms, or otherwise advance discriminatory & unconstitutional policies,' Spitalnick said. 'Doing so only makes Jews – and all communities – less safe.' Rep. Judy Chu, a California Democrat who introduced legislation in February that sought to prevent the Trump administration from banning travel to the U.S. by people of any religious group, lashed out at Trump on X. "Just now, Trump has re-issued his disgusting, bigoted, and Islamophobic travel ban. This goes against our core American values while doing nothing to make us safer. We can do better, we must do better," she said. What travelers need to know: Trump issues new travel ban affecting nearly 20 countries Trump's first-term travel bans were overturned repeatedly in the courts for apparent religious or racial motivations before being upheld by the Supreme Court. Within hours of the new ban, the International Refugee Assistance Project, a group that sued Trump in 2017, slammed the ban as arbitrary for making exceptions for athletes traveling to the United States for sporting events such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, "while closing the door to ordinary people who've gone through extensive legal processes to enter the United States." "It is yet another shameful attempt by the Trump administration to sow division, fear, and chaos," Stephanie Gee, senior director of U.S. Legal Services, said in a statement. Trump's latest ban follows through on a day-one executive order directing his administration to identify countries throughout the world "for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a full or partial suspension on the entry or admission of nationals from those countries." Trump said he evaluated recommendations from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi based on foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism goals and largely accepted their recommendations. Factors included whether a county "has a significant terrorist presence within its territory" or a high rate of people overstaying their visas, Trump's order said. The president said the administration also considered a country's "cooperation with accepting back its removable nationals." At one point, the administration looked at slapping as many as 43 countries with restrictions. Egypt was not on either of the draft lists that circulated in March. The president said in the order that Rubio and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller provided him a list on April 9 of countries to consider. The White House did not immediately explain why it took Trump nearly two months after he received the report to take action. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. "Very simply," Trump said, "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." Contributing: Bart Jansen, USA TODAY Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump signs proclamation banning travel into US from 12 nations
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump overpowers Musk's attacks on mega tax bill with blizzard of orders
WASHINGTON − After watching Elon Musk rip his signature bill throughout the day, President Donald Trump unleashed a flurry of executive actions that bulldozed the discourse to other matters. Although not the stated goal, the president's blizzard of proclamations on the night of June 4 ‒ reviving a controversial travel ban, ordering an investigation into former President Joe Biden's use of an autopen and banning Harvard University from welcoming international students ‒ was classic Trump: when the going gets tough, change the subject. Trump, never shy to lash out at his critics, has remained silent about Musk ‒ not a single Truth Social post ‒ as the world's richest man this week launched a full-out effort to kill what Trump has called his "big, beautiful, bill." (That could very likely change when Trump faces reporters Thursday as he hosts German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House.) Not even a peep after Musk urged his 220 million followers on X, the social media platform he owns, to lobby their lawmakers to "KILL the BILL." More: President Trump bans travel from 12 nations, partially restricts entry from seven others The orders dropped later that evening. It came shortly after Trump attended a "summer soiree" for political appointees on the White House South Lawn, his first public appearance since playing golf over the weekend. "We don't want them," Trump said in pre-taped remarks on his proclamation to impose a full travel ban blocking the entry of foreign nationals from 12 countries into the United States, while partially restricting entry of citizens from seven other nations. Trump cited "national security risks" with these countries. Yet the timing of the order raised eyebrows. In his proclamation, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller provided him a list on April 9 of countries to target with a travel ban. They were carrying out an executive order Trump signed on Jan. 20, the first day of his second term. Trump pointed to last weekend's fiery assault on pro-Jewish demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, saying it "underscored the extreme dangers" posed by the entry of foreign nationals. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a native of Egypt who came to the U.S. on a tourist visa in late 2022 and stayed after the visa expired, has been charged in the anti-Semitic attack. But Egypt is not among the countries facing new restrictions. The White House did not immediately say why it took Trump nearly two months after he received the report to take action. Democratic critics accused Trump of trying to shift the subject amid the legislative drama over the reconciliation bill. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn, said the travel ban is meant to "distract" to try to push through a "super unpopular" bill. "How do you get that done?' Murphy said in an interview on MSNBC. 'You distract people by making them think that they're at war with other Americans ‒ making them think that they have something to fear from people who look different from them or speak a different language.' More: Trump orders investigation of Joe Biden's alleged 'cognitive decline' and use of autopen If a sweeping travel ban wasn't enough for one night, Trump also issued an order directing an investigation of Biden's alleged "cognitive decline" to determine who decided his signature should be applied to official documents by autopen. Biden's use of an autopen, in particular for the last-minute pardons of family members, has become a fixation on the right. Trump has acknowledged that he, too, has also used an automatic pen but claims only for trivial items like responding to letters. In another extraordinary proclamation, Trump suspended Harvard University from welcoming foreign students and researchers, escalating a battle with arguably the nation's most prestigious university. Musk's barrage of criticism over the deficit implications for the massive tax and policy bill has put the legislation in jeopardy by giving skeptical Republican senators ‒ who Trump has criticized over their objections despite his constraint with Musk ‒ cover to voice their opposition. A senior White House official told USA TODAY that Trump is disappointed by Musk's criticisms over the tax bill but the president is committed to getting the legislation passed. More: 'Kill the bill': Elon Musk tries to nuke Trump's GOP tax plan Musk's tirade comes after he left the White House as a senior adviser last week after leading the government-slashing Department of Government Efficiency for the past four months. Although Musk had started to voice criticism with Trump's bill before his exit, Trump had seemed to smooth things over when he welcomed the Tesla and SpaceX CEO into the Oval Office for a send-off news conference. Yet the rift between the Musk and the White House had started to widen. Musk, prior to his White House departure, asked for his special government employee status to be extended beyond 130 days to allow him to continue to lead DOGE, but the White House declined, a source told USA TODAY. Last weekend, Musk expressed disappointment after Trump withdrew his nominee for administrator of NASA, Jared Isaacman, a billionaire commercial astronaut with close ties to Musk. And, Trump's bill would also end $7,500 consumer tax credits for buyers of electric vehicles, a Biden policy that has benefited electric car companies like Musk's Tesla. Contributing: Francesca Chambers of USA TODAY Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump overpowers Musk's attacks with blizzard of orders
USA Today
5 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Trump overpowers Musk's attacks on mega tax bill with blizzard of orders
Trump overpowers Musk's attacks on mega tax bill with blizzard of orders Show Caption Hide Caption Travelers react to the latest travel ban from President Trump "Pros and cons." Travelers in Los Angeles responded to the news of President Donald Trump's travel ban impacting nearly 20 countries. WASHINGTON − After watching Elon Musk rip his signature bill throughout the day, President Donald Trump unleashed a flurry of executive actions that bulldozed the discourse to other matters. Although not the stated goal, the president's blizzard of proclamations on the night of June 4 ‒ reviving a controversial travel ban, ordering an investigation into former President Joe Biden's use of an autopen and banning Harvard University from welcoming international students ‒ was classic Trump: when the going gets tough, change the subject. Trump, never shy to lash out at his critics, has remained silent about Musk ‒ not a single Truth Social post ‒ as the world's richest man this week launched a full-out effort to kill what Trump has called his "big, beautiful, bill." (That could very likely change when Trump faces reporters Thursday as he hosts German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House.) Not even a peep after Musk urged his 220 million followers on X, the social media platform he owns, to lobby their lawmakers to "KILL the BILL." More: President Trump bans travel from 12 nations, partially restricts entry from seven others The orders dropped later that evening. It came shortly after Trump attended a "summer soiree" for political appointees on the White House South Lawn, his first public appearance since playing golf over the weekend. "We don't want them," Trump said in pre-taped remarks on his proclamation to impose a full travel ban blocking the entry of foreign nationals from 12 countries into the United States, while partially restricting entry of citizens from seven other nations. Trump critics calls travel ban an effort to 'distract' Trump citied "national security risks" with these countries. Yet the timing of the order raised eyebrows. In his proclamation, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller provided him a list on April 9 of countries to target with a travel ban. They were carrying out an executive order Trump signed on Jan. 20, the first day of his second term. Trump pointed to last weekend's fiery assault on pro-Jewish demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, saying it "underscored the extreme dangers" posed by the entry of foreign nationals. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a native of Egypt who came to the U.S. on a tourist visa in late 2022 and stayed after the visa expired, has been charged in the anti-Semitic attack. But Egypt is not among the countries facing new restrictions. The White House did not immediately say why it took Trump nearly two months after he received the report to take action. Democratic critics accused Trump of trying to shift the subject amid the legislative drama over the reconciliation bill. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn, said the travel ban is meant to "distract" to try to push through a "super unpopular" bill. "How do you get that done?' Murphy said in an interview on MSNBC. 'You distract people by making them think that they're at war with other Americans ‒ making them think that they have something to fear from people who look different from them or speak a different language.' More: Trump orders investigation of Joe Biden's alleged 'cognitive decline' and use of autopen If a sweeping travel ban wasn't enough for one night, Trump also issued an order directing an investigation of Biden's alleged "cognitive decline" to determine who decided his signature should be applied to official documents by autopen. Biden's use of an autopen, in particular for the last-minute pardons of family members, has become a fixation on the right. Trump has acknowledged that he, too, has also used an automatic pen but claims only for trivial items like responding to letters. In another extraordinary proclamation, Biden suspended Harvard University from welcoming foreign students and researchers, escalating a battle with arguably the nation's most prestigious university. Peeling back Musk's growing rift with White House Musk's barrage of criticism over the deficit implications for the massive tax and policy bill has put the legislation in jeopardy by giving skeptical Republican senators ‒ who Trump has criticized over their objections despite his constraint with Musk ‒ cover to voice their opposition. A senior White House official told USA TODAY that Trump is disappointed by Musk's criticisms over the tax bill but the president is committed to getting the legislation passed. More: 'Kill the bill': Elon Musk tries to nuke Trump's GOP tax plan Musk's tirade comes after he left the White House as a senior adviser last week after leading the government-slashing Department of Government Efficiency for the past four months. Although Musk had started to voice criticism with Trump's bill before his exit, Trump had seemed to smooth things over when he welcomed the Tesla and SpaceX CEO into the Oval Office for a send-off news conference. Yet the rift between the Musk and the White House had started to widen. Musk, prior to his White House departure, asked for his special government employee status to be extended beyond 130 days to allow him to continue to lead DOGE, but the White House declined, a source told USA TODAY. Last weekend, Musk expressed disappointment after Trump withdrew his nominee for administrator of NASA, Jared Isaacman, a billionaire commercial astronaut with close ties to Musk. And, Trump's bill would also end $7,500 consumer tax credits for buyers of electric vehicles, a Biden policy that has benefited electric car companies like Musk's Tesla. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
USA Today
5 days ago
- USA Today
What countries are on Trump's travel ban list? 12 countries include Haiti, Iran
What countries are on Trump's travel ban list? 12 countries include Haiti, Iran Show Caption Hide Caption Travelers react to the latest travel ban from President Trump "Pros and cons." Travelers in Los Angeles responded to the news of President Donald Trump's travel ban impacting nearly 20 countries. President Donald Trump's travel ban list names 12 countries with partial restrictions on 7 more. Trump said citizens from these countries post "national security risks." The ban is scheduled to go into effect June 9, though is likely to face legal challenges. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on June 4 barring United States entry of foreign nationals from 12 countries entirely and seven countries partially, saying their citizens posed "national security risks." The move comes after the Trump administration has worked aggressively to deport immigrants who are in the U.S. unlawfully, halted the government's refugee resettlement program, and last week announced plans to "aggressively" revoke visas of Chinese students. In videotaped remarks from the Oval Office, Trump pointed to last weekend's fiery assault on pro-Jewish demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado. The suspect in the attack, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is a native of Egypt who came to the U.S. on a tourist visa in late 2022 and stayed after the visa expired. But Egypt is not one of the countries facing new restrictions. Which ones are? What travelers need to know: Trump issues new travel ban affecting nearly 20 countries What countries are on the travel ban list? Foreign nationals from the following countries are restricted and limited from entering the country, per the proclamation: Afghanistan Burma Chad Republic of the Congo Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Haiti Iran Libya Somalia Sudan Yemen The following countries are under a partial travel suspension: Burundi Cuba Laos Sierra Leone Togo Turkmenistan Venezuela When does the ban go into effect? The restrictions are scheduled to go into effect on June 9, though the policy is likely to be challenged in court. Trump issued the proclamation on June 4. What are the exceptions? The restrictions do not apply to visas that have already been granted, lawful permanent residents, certain athletes, immediate family members of current visa holders, and other classes of individuals for whom the administration granted exceptions. What happened to the travel ban in Trump's first administration? The ban resembles similar actions Trump took during his first term to bar the entry of foreign nationals from several predominantly Muslim countries. Trump initially attempted to suspend travel from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen and block travel from Syria entirely. The move prompted chaos at the airports, protests and legal action. The administration's bans were overturned repeatedly in the courts for apparent religious or racial motivations before a version of it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. Former President Joe Biden repealed Trump's ban in 2021, calling it "a stain on our national conscience." Within hours of the new ban, the International Refugee Assistance Project, a group that sued Trump in 2017, slammed the ban as arbitrary for making exceptions for athletes traveling to the United States for sporting events such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, "while closing the door to ordinary people who've gone through extensive legal processes to enter the United States." Contributing: Anthony Robledo, Richard Wolf, Josh Rivera, Zach Wichter, USA TODAY Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @
