Politics
NEW: Trump Mulls Travel Ban For Dozens Of Countries
The Trump Administration is considering issuing a number of travel restrictions for the citizens of a number of unstable or adversarial countries, people familiar with a recent internal memo told Reuters. Trump previously instituted a travel ban on a number of countries in 2017, which mainstream media outlets falsely labeled as a “Muslim ban.”
The new memo outlines potential restrictions on 41 countries, all of which have been divided into three separate categories. The first group of countries, which includes Syria, North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran and other extremely unstable or adversarial nations, would be set for a full visa suspension.
The second category includes five countries — Haiti, South Sudan, Eritrea, Laos and Myanmar — would face partial suspensions that would impact tourist and student visas, in addition to other immigration visas. Some exceptions would be made for these countries, all of which face widespread insecurity and internal conflicts.
In addition, a third category will include 26 countries, including the likes of Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan among others. These countries would be subjected to partial visa suspension if their governments “do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days,” the memo said, according to a report from the New York Post.
While speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior U.S. official told the outlet that the plan is still being crafted and has yet to be approved by senior administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump previously instated a travel ban for seven unstable nations, all of which have had issues with Islamic extremism, as one of his first acts in the White House in 2017. The ban went through several court challenges before it was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in the following year.
On Inauguration Day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order requiring increased vetting of any foreigners entering the United States due to increased national security threats. The order further instructed cabinet members to provide a list of countries from which travel should be partly or fully suspended because their “vetting and screening information is so deficient.”
The president also vowed to reimplement a version of the 2017 travel ban while speaking on the campaign trail last year.
