Is Another Travel Ban Coming? Trump's Latest Moves Explained
T The Trump administration is apparently mulling over a fresh travel restriction affecting citizens from as many as 43 nations, which could be an intensification of measures implemented during his initial term. travel ban which was mainly focused on Muslim-majority nations.
An internal memo, obtained and reviewed first by the New York s and then by Reuters , suggests that the Trump Administration has included new countries in a draft of a 2.0 travel ban. Per the memo, the countries on the list would be sorted into three different tiers: red, orange, and yellow.
People coming from the 11 nations categorized as "red" apparently wouldn’t be allowed entry into the U.S. at all. These 11 countries consist of Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. s It has been reported, however, that this list was created by the State Department several weeks ago, and modifications may still occur.
Individuals hailing from nations categorized as "orange," which encompasses Haiti, Russia, and Pakistan, would face stringent limitations on visa issuance. According to s Reporting indicates that travelers heading to the U.S. from those nations will face "compulsory personal interviews" forvisa approval. The third classification encompasses countries labeled as part of the “yellow” list—which means they must resolve issues flagged by the administration within sixty days; otherwise, they could move into higher-risk tiers. Nations mentioned in this particular tier supposedly consist of Cambodia, Zimbabwe, and the Republic of Congo.
The White House hasn't made any public statements regarding the alleged memo. Attempts have been made to contact the White House for their input.
A possible new travel ban proposed by the Trump administration was announced soon after the president faced questions on the topic. during a press briefing On Wednesday, March 12, when asked which countries could be included in his updated list, he dismissed the journalist’s query by stating, “ Wouldn’t it be foolish of me to reveal that? ”
Trump made promises on his campaign trail, stating his intention to restore the travel ban which caught much attention during its initial introduction during his first term. His signing of an Executive Order titled “ Securing the U.S. Against Foreign terrorists Along With Various National Security and Public Safety Hazards on Jan. 20 merely reinforced his commitments.
Here we revisit the history of Trump’s travel ban and examine what he has disclosed regarding future intentions.
Trump’s first term travel ban
In January 2017, just one week following Trump taking office, he signed Executorial Order 13769, entitled " safeguarding The Country Against Overseas Terrorists Entering The U.S." —referred to later as the “ Muslim travel ban "due to the fact that it mainly affected countries with Muslim-majorities." The order prevented Syrians from entering and briefly halted admissions for people coming from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The action triggered chaos at airports and sparked protests Throughout the nation, judges in multiple states halted the initial ban shortly after it was implemented in 2017. They argued that it specifically targeted Muslim-majority nations and unfairly discriminated based on nationality without valid reason, thereby breaching U.S. immigration laws.
Eventually the Supreme Court permitted a rewritten notion where residents from Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen remained under the restrictions. Later, upheld the ban In 2018, these nations might face potential risks once more if a revised list is ultimately approved.
When ex-President Joe Biden took office in 2021, he repealed the ban describing it as "a blemish on our national conscience" and "at odds with our enduring tradition of embracing individuals from all religions and those who do not follow any religion."
"[They] have torn apart families, causing anguish that will resonate for many years. These policies are simply incorrect," Biden stated. Executive Order announcing the end to the ban.
During his campaign, Trump pledged to reimplement the travel restrictions.
During his 2024 campaign tour, Trump promised to reintroduce the travel ban he had implemented in 2017.
In July, at a campaign rally In St. Cloud, Minnesota, Trump addressed the audience stating that he would "reimpose the travel ban, halt refugee entries, cease resettlements, and ensure those who wish to harm us stay far away from our nation." He assured them that this action was imminent. “day one” of his presidency.
In a subsequent campaign event in Washington, Trump said he would ban people from “terrorist infested” areas and would “seal our borders.”
Recall the well-known travel ban? We did not accept individuals from particular regions of the globe," Trump stated during an event in September 2024. "We aren't welcoming people from these disease-ridden nations.
Trump’s Executive Order on “vetting” countries
Trump did not reinstate his travel ban on "day one" as pledged, however, on the initial day of his second term, he signed the Executive Order named "Securing the Nation from Foreign Terrorists and Other Risks to Our National Security and Public Safety."
In the Executive Order, Trump tasked the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence with producing a report within 60 days. This document was meant to identify nations worldwide where inadequate vetting and screening data necessitates either a partial or complete halt to admitting their citizens.
Should the line stay unchanged, this document needs to reach the President by next week. Though he might have likely obtained it already.
The Executive Order additionally required the report to determine the number of individuals from those nations who have entered the United States since Biden took office as President.
This was merely one executive order among many. slew of recent motions Signed by Trump, these measures aim to significantly alter and toughen the U.S.'s immigration and visitor policies.
