Latest news with #travelban
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘A direct attack': South Florida leaders blast travel ban for Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba
South Florida leaders on Thursday denounced the Trump administration's travel ban targeting Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela, crisis-wracked nations that are among 19 countries hit with full or partial prohibitions against entering the United States. 'This is not only a cruel and xenophobic policy proposal – it is a blatant attempt to scapegoat an already suffering people. This unjust policy will sow chaos in our communities, separating families and disrupting lives,' said Marleine Bastien, a Haiti-born Miami-Dade County commissioner who represents one of the largest Haitian communities in the U.S. Bastien noted that the Haitian-American community is 'a cornerstone of Miami-Dade County, contributing to its culture, economy and strength. 'Targeting Haiti in this manner is not just only discriminatory, but a betrayal of the values America claims to uphold – compassion, justice, and opportunity for all,' she said, slamming the administration's recent immigration directives stripping Haitian migrants in the U.S. of immigration protections. On Thursday, there was still confusion among holders of current U.S. visas who are in Haiti, Cuba and Venezuela about whether they would be let in as of Monday when the travel ban takes effect. Still, South Florida elected officials emphasized the harm the policy would create in the communities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, which of which boast sizable and thriving populations with roots in Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela. North Miami Mayor Alex Desulme said his city's Haitian population aren't just residents. They are small-business owners, healthcare workers, educators and parents raising young children. South Florida boasts one of the largest Haitian diasporas in the United States. 'The reinstatement of this ban is a direct attack on the values of equity, compassion and opportunity that our city and this nation were built upon. It causes fear, separates families, disrupts lives and unfairly targets communities that have long contributed to the country's strength and prosperity,' said Desulme. He asked federal leaders to reconsider the 'harmful policy and work toward an immigration system that reflects our shared values and honors the dignity of all individuals.' Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen described the ban as an attack 'on our collective humanity, a blatant disregard for the principles that make our nation great. 'This policy is not about safety; it's about exclusion,' said the official, who is Haitian American. President Donald Trump flipped Miami-Dade red for the first time since George H.W. Bush won the presidency in 1988, riding new support throughout the majority-Hispanic county. He received loyal backing from local Republicans who also viewed his victory as integral to their own. But as the Trump administration has rolled out immigration policies targeting Venezuelans, Haitians and Cubans, GOP officials in Miami have had to draw a careful balance between supporting the White House and the many immigrants in their district affected by Trump's immigration agenda. U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Miami Republican, told the Herald in a statement that travel restrictions could serve as 'temporary tools' to ensure national security and said they were a way to fight against the governments in Cuba and Venezuela. However, she warned that those with family-based petitions should be protected. 'We must draw a clear line between hostile regimes and the families who suffer under them,' she said. 'These are people who have followed the law and waited years, even decades, to reunite with loved ones in the U.S. We can protect our country while upholding the values that make America a beacon of hope and freedom.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Trump travel ban for national security sparks uncertainty and questions
The Brief A new Trump travel ban due to terror concerns has been implemented. The proclamation takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday. A mixed reaction has followed with some FOX 2 - The Trump administration is expanding its travel ban, now blocking entry from a dozen countries, with restrictions added to several more. What we know The move is said to combat terrorism which was first announced last night and already, the new rules are facing pushback. The new order bans travelers from 12 countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, citing national security concerns, and it lays out partial travel restrictions for seven additional countries. Some are questioning the controversial travel restrictions. Ruby Robinson is an attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. "Congress needs to step forward, there needs to be immigration reform," she said. "We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm and nothing will stop us from keeping America safe," Trump said. Robinson said that it is similar to the so-called "Muslim ban" from Trump's first term. "We are not shocked, nor are we necessarily surprised by the fact that it has arrived," Robinson said. "I think many of us was expecting it." Some of the countries banned are already firing back by suspending visas for Americans. There are some exemptions for now, like those competing in the 2026 World Cup. But for some immigrant families, it adds a new layer of worry, those like David Fishman say. "People that are going to visit family will still go to some of these countries, but there is I guess somewhat of a fear that they may not get back in through," said Fishman, president of Cadillac Travel Group. Local travel companies are warning clients about necessary travel documents and updated visas. "We make sure that they can get there and get back and many times to be very honest. we tell them to go directly to the airlines," he said. "Because we don't want to be have the responsibility of the situation which is saying do not go." There is also an expected rush for those still needing government approval. "I expect anybody who had an appointment today or tomorrow to ask for their visa to be issued as soon as possible and to be on that first flight before this goes into effect," Robinson said. What we don't know The ban is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday. The president has said that banned list could be revised if countries make material improvements, but also that new countries could be added if threats come up. The Source Information for this report came from interviews and a proclamation from the Trump administration.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
What you need to know after Trump banned citizens of 12 countries from entering the U.S.
An Afghan person passes in front of an air travel agency in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) DAKAR, Senegal -- U.S. President Donald Trump has banned citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricted access for those from seven others, citing national security concerns in resurrecting and expanding a hallmark policy of his first term that will mostly affect people from Africa and the Middle East. The ban announced Wednesday applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The heightened restrictions apply to people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the U.S. and don't hold a valid visa. The policy takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m. and does not have an end date. Here's what to know about the new rules: How Trump justified the ban Since returning to the White House, Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign of immigration enforcement that has pushed the limits of executive power and clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him. The travel ban stems from a Jan. 20 executive order Trump issued requiring the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on 'hostile attitudes' toward the U.S. The aim is 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,' the administration said. In a video posted on social media, Trump tied the new ban to a terrorist attack Sunday in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. The man charged in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump's restricted list. U.S. officials say he overstayed a tourist visa. Who is exempt from the ban Green card holders Dual citizens, including U.S. citizens who also have citizenship of one of the banned countries Some athletes: athletes and their coaches travelling to the U.S. for the World Cup, Olympics or other major sporting event as determined by the U.S. secretary of state Afghans who worked for the U.S. government or its allies in Afghanistan and are holders of Afghan special immigrant visas Iranians belonging to an ethnic or religious minority who are fleeing prosecution Certain foreign national employees of the U.S. government who have served abroad for at least 15 years, and their spouses and children People who were granted asylum or admitted to the U.S. as refugees before the ban took effect People with U.S. family members who apply for visas in connection to their spouses, children or parents Diplomats and foreign government officials on official visits Those travelling to UN headquarters in New York solely on official UN business Representatives of international organizations and NATO on official visits in the U.S. Children adopted by U.S. citizens. Which countries are affected Trump said nationals of countries included in the ban pose 'terrorism-related' and 'public-safety' risks, as well as risks of overstaying their visas. He also said some of these countries had 'deficient' screening and vetting or have historically refused to take back their citizens. His findings rely extensively on an annual Homeland Security report about tourists, businesspeople and students who overstay U.S. visas and arrive by air or sea, singling out countries with high percentages of nationals who remain after their visas expired. 'We don't want them,' Trump said. The inclusion of Afghanistan angered some supporters who have worked to resettle its people. The ban makes exceptions for Afghans on special immigrant visas, who were generally the people who worked most closely with the U.S. government during the two-decade war there. The list can be changed, the administration said in a document, if authorities in the designated countries make 'material improvements' to their own rules and procedures. New countries can be added 'as threats emerge around the world.' Reactions to Trump's order Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro's government condemned the travel ban, characterizing it in a statement as a 'stigmatization and criminalization campaign' against Venezuelans, who have been targeted by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Chad President Mahamat Deby Itno said his country would suspend visas for U.S. citizens in response to the ban. Aid and refugee resettlement groups also denounced it. 'This policy is not about national security -- it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,' said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, called the order 'unnecessary, overbroad and ideologically motivated.' And the National Immigration Law Center said it was 'outraged' and that the ban is 'laced with unsubstantiated legal justifications.' 'The impact of this new ban will be deeply racialized, as it will effectively bar hundreds of millions of Black and Brown people from entering the United States,' the group said in a statement. But reactions to the ban ran the gamut from anger to guarded relief and support. In Haiti, radio stations received a flurry of calls Thursday from angry listeners, including many who said they were Haitians living in the U.S. and who accused Trump of being racist, noting that the people of many of the targeted countries are Black. In Miami, restaurant owner Wilkinson Sejour said most of his employees and customers are from Haiti and that the ban will hurt his business in a 'domino effect.' He suggested that Haiti was targeted because most Haitians vote Democrat. Jaylani Hussein, who heads CAIR's Minnesota chapter, said his compatriots in the Twin Cities' large Somali American community had been expecting Trump's order, but didn't know the details until its release. 'It's a lot better than maybe some of the worst fears of what we initially thought could come out. But it significantly impacts the Somali community, there's no way around it,' he said. William Lopez, a 75-year-old property investor who arrived from Cuba in 1967, supports the travel ban. 'These are people that come but don't want to work, they support the Cuban government, they support communism,' Lopez said at a restaurant near Little Havana in Miami. 'What the Trump administration is doing is perfectly good.' How the ban is different from 2017 Early in Trump's first term, he issued an executive order banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Travelers from those nations were either barred from getting on flights to the U.S. or detained at U.S. airports after they landed. They included students and faculty, as well as businesspeople, tourists and people visiting friends and family. The order, often referred to as the 'Muslim ban' or the 'travel ban,' was retooled amid legal challenges until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. The ban affected various categories of travelers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families. ------ By Monika Pronczuk Associated Press reporters Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Confusion and frustration': Trump travel ban is unclear on who can visit the U.S.
A day after President Donald Trump proclaimed full or partial travel restrictions for Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela and 16 other countries, U.S. tourist-visa holders from the targeted nations lacked clarity about whether they will be allowed into the United States when the ban is in force Monday. The confusion stems from language the White House used in the directive that will totally or partially suspend entry into the United States and the issuance of immigrant and non-immigrant visas to nationals of the 19 countries. 'The entry into the United States of nationals of Haiti as immigrants and non-immigrants is hereby fully suspended,' the directive says, adding that the entry of nationals from Cuba and Venezuela 'as immigrants, and as non-immigrants' on several temporary visa categories, including for tourism, study and business, 'is hereby suspended.' Trump hits Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti with travel bans amid immigration crackdown The directive lists several exceptions, for green-card holders, dual nationals, holders of other immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and visas for diplomats and other officials. The Secretary of State and the Attorney General can also authorize the entry of nationals from the banned countries, citing national interests. Several immigration lawyers have interpreted a section explaining the scope of the directive, and who could be subject to it, to mean that foreign nationals from the banned countries who hold current visas in the suspended categories will be allowed to enter the United States when the directive takes effect. That section states that the foreign nationals from those countries subject to the restrictions are those outside the United States who do not hold 'a valid visa.' The American Immigration Council said in a statement on Wednesday that the presidential proclamation does not apply to holders of valid current visas or permanent U.S. residents. The Migration Policy Institute also made a similar analysis. However, experts are urging caution for those traveling to the U.S. after the ban kicks in. 'Anybody who's holding a valid visa is supposed not to be affected,' said Julia Gelatt, associate director of the U.S. immigration policy program at the Migration Policy Institute told the Miami Herald. 'But I have to say, if I was holding one of those visas, I would still feel concerned when I showed up at a U.S. port of entry or airport if [Customs and Border Protection] would let me in.' Still, the administration has not clarified how U.S. border agents will interpret the 'valid visa' provision at airports and other ports of entry. As of late Thursday some airlines flying into the region were still awaiting guidance from Homeland Security. The State Department did not answer Herald questions about whether nationals from Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela with currently valid B1 and B2 visas — issued to foreign nationals for brief visits to the U.S. — will be able to enter the country after June 9. At a press briefing Thursday, a State Department spokesman avoided clarifying the issue. However, during an interview with a Venezuelan journalist, State Department spokesperson Natalia Molano raised the possibility that travelers from Venezuela with current B1/B2 visas may not be allowed to enter the U.S. after June 9. Along with Cuba, the South American nation was placed on a partial ban. 'We understand that valid visa holders will not be able to present themselves at the ports of entry if they are from these countries. But we will wait for the Department of Homeland Security to publish something official with these details. They are the authority that handles entry or exit of the United States,' Molano told Venezuelan journalist Carla Angola. Molano told the Herald that the State Department would not revoke valid visas. However, the directive also called on the agency to 'limit the validity for any other non-immigrant visa issued' to Cubans and Venezuelans 'to the extent permitted by law.' Homeland Security officials also declined to provide clarity on who falls under the restrictions. The agency instead reiterated the president's rationale for the travel ban. 'President Trump's action to limit the entry of foreign nationals from countries who have a significant terrorist presence, inadequate screening and vetting processes, and high visa overstay rates will help secure the American homeland and make our communities safer,' DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Herald in a statement. McLaughlin called it a 'necessary step' to get foreign governments to take back their own citizens in deportation flights and protect national security. At a gathering in Boston of funders to programs in Haiti, participants who live in the Caribbean nation were left equally confused and wondering what the ban means for their ability not just to visit the U.S. for future conferences but also to transit to other countries. Patricia Elizee, a Haitian-American immigration attorney based in Miami, said that many of her clients felt like the Trump administration was using 'psychological warfare' towards immigrants. 'There's just a lot of confusion and frustration,' Elizee said. 'This is just one more attack, the psychological warfare that the Trump administration is having against immigrants, one other way to scare you and to make things harder.'
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
Trump travel ban comes as little surprise amid barrage of draconian restrictions
Donald Trump's first travel ban in 2017 had an immediate, explosive impact – spawning chaos at airports nationwide. This time around, the panic and chaos was already widespread by the time the president signed his proclamation Wednesday to fully or partially restrict foreign nationals from 19 countries from entering the United States. Since being sworn in for his second term, Trump has unleashed a barrage of draconian immigration restrictions. Within hours of taking office, the president suspended the asylum system at the southern border as part of his wide-ranging immigration crackdown. His administration has ended temporary legal residency for 211,000 Haitians, 117,000 Venezuelans and 110,000 Cubans, and moved to revoke temporary protected status for several groups of immigrants. It has moved to restrict student visas and root out scholars who have come to the US legally. 'It's death by 1,000 cuts,' said Faisal Al-Juburi of the Texas-based legal non-profit Raices, which was among several immigrants' rights groups that challenged Trump's first travel ban. 'And that's kind of the point. It's creating layers and layers of restrictions.' Trump's first travel ban in January 2017, issued days after he took office, targeted the predominantly Muslim countries of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. The order came as a shock – including to many administration officials. Customs and Border Protection officials were initially given little guidance on how to enact the ban. Lawyers and protesters rushed to international airports where travellers were stuck in limbo. Confusion spread through colleges and tech companies in the US, and refugee camps across the world. This time, Trump's travel ban came as no surprise. He had cued up the proclamation in an executive order signed on 20 January, his first day back in the White House, instructing his administration to submit a list of candidates for a ban by 21 March. Though he finally signed a proclamation enacting the ban on Wednesday, it will not take effect until 9 June – allowing border patrol officers and travellers a few days to prepare. The ban includes several exemptions, including for people with visas who are already in the United States, green-card holders, dual citizens and athletes or coaches traveling to the US for major sporting events such as the World Cup or the Olympics. It also exempts Afghans eligible for the special immigrant visa program for those who helped the US during the war in Afghanistan. But the policy, which is likely to face legal challenges, will undoubtedly once again separate families and disproportionately affect people seeking refuge from humanitarian crises. 'This is horrible, to be clear … and it's still something that reeks of arbitrary racism and xenophobia,' Al-Juburi said. 'But this does not yield the type of chaos that January 2017 yielded, because immigration overall has been upended to such a degree that the practice of immigration laws is in a state of chaos.' In his second term, Trump has taken unprecedented steps to tear down legal immigration. He has eliminated the legal status of thousands of international students and instructed US embassies worldwide to stop scheduling visa interviews as it prepares to ramp up social media vetting for international scholars. The administration has arrested people at immigration check-ins, exiled asylum seekers to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador, and detained scholars and travellers at airports without reason. Although Trump's travel ban excludes green-card holders, his Department of Homeland Security has made clear that it can and will revoke green cards as it sees fit – including in the cases of student activists Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi. Sign up to First Thing Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'The first Muslim ban was very targeted, it was brutal, it was immediate, and it was massive,' said Nihad Awad, the executive director at the Council on American–Islamic Relations. 'Now, the administration is not only targeting nations with certain religious affiliations, but also people of color overall, people who criticise the US government for its funding of the genocide in Gaza.' And this new travel ban comes as many families are still reeling and recovering from Trump's first ban. 'We're looking at, essentially, a ban being in place potentially for eight out of 12 years,' said Ryan Costello, policy director at the National Iranian American Council. 'And even in that period where the Biden administration lifted the ban, it was still very hard for Iranians to get a visa.' Iranian Americans who came to the US fleeing political persecution back home, who couldn't return to Iran, have in some cases been unable to see their parents, siblings or other loved ones for years. 'You want your parents to be able to come for the birth of a child, or to come to your wedding,' Costello said. 'So this is a really hard moment for so many families. And I think unfortunately, there's much more staying power for this ban.' Experts say the new ban is more likely to stand up to legal challenges as his first ban. It also doesn't appear to have registered the same intense shock and outrage, culturally. 'The first time, we saw this immediate backlash, protests at airports,' said Costello. 'Now, over time, Trump has normalized this.'
