Trump expands travel ban list to nearly 40 countries
What's the story
The United States has expanded its travel ban to include five more countries, bringing the total number of nations under full or partial restrictions to 39. The latest additions are Laos, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. Sierra Leone and Laos had previously been subject to partial restrictions. These join a list of 12 other countries, including Afghanistan and Iran, that already face a complete entry ban into the US.
New measures
Travel restrictions extended to Palestinian Authority-issued documents
The new travel ban also extends full restrictions to people holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. Furthermore, it lifts the ban on nonimmigrant visas for Turkmen individuals, "while still maintaining suspended entry for Turkmen nationals." The proclamation makes exclusions for lawful permanent residents, current visa holders, specific visa categories, and persons whose entry supports US national interests.
Additional measures
Partial restrictions imposed on 15 more countries
Apart from the full bans, the new proclamation also imposes partial restrictions on 15 more countries. These include Nigeria, Tanzania, and Senegal, where travelers will undergo increased vetting and restrictions on certain visa categories. The decision comes after an Afghan national was arrested in connection with a Thanksgiving weekend shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC.
Backlash
Critics condemn expansion as 'collective punishment'
The White House has justified this expansion by citing "persistent and severe deficiencies" in screening and information-sharing practices of these countries. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized that the US should not allow entry to individuals from countries that cannot reliably verify their identities or criminal records. Critics and civil rights advocates have slammed the expansion as "collective punishment," arguing it traumatizes refugees and families who have already undergone extensive background checks.
Countries
39 countries with full or partial restrictions
Legal experts say that while the Supreme Court upheld an earlier version of the ban in 2018, this latest expansion impacts nearly 5% of the world's population. The 39 countries are: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.