Trump expands travel ban

The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it is widening its existing travel restrictions to include 20 more countries, as well as the Palestinian Authority. This action effectively doubles the number of nations subject to the sweeping limitations that were initially announced earlier this year regarding travel and immigration to the United States. The changes will take effect on January 1.

Five additional countries now face a complete ban on travel to the U.S., along with individuals traveling on documents issued by the Palestinian Authority. Furthermore, 15 other countries will be subject to new limitations.

These measures reflect the administration's continued efforts to tighten U.S. entry standards for both travel and immigration. Critics argue that these policies unfairly prevent people from a wide array of countries from traveling to the U.S. The administration had hinted at expanding the restrictions following the arrest of an Afghan national in connection with the shooting of two National Guard troops around Thanksgiving.

Exemptions to the restrictions include individuals who already possess visas, lawful permanent residents of the U.S., and those with specific visa categories, such as diplomats or athletes. Additionally, individuals whose entry is deemed to be in the U.S. interest will also be exempt.

In June, President Trump announced a ban on citizens from 12 countries entering the United States, along with restrictions for those from seven others. This decision revived a key policy from his first term. The initial ban encompassed Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Heightened restrictions were also placed on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The countries newly added to the list facing a complete ban are Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. The administration is also fully restricting travel for individuals with travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority. South Sudan was already facing significant travel limitations.

The 15 countries now subject to partial restrictions are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Ivory Coast, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The administration has stated that many of the countries facing restrictions have issues such as "widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records," making it difficult to properly vet their citizens. Other reasons cited include high rates of visa overstays, refusal to accept the return of their citizens slated for deportation by the U.S., and a "general lack of stability and government control" hindering the vetting process. Immigration enforcement, foreign policy, and national security concerns were also cited as justification for the expanded ban.

The Afghan man accused in the National Guard shooting has pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges. Following that incident, the administration announced a series of immigration restrictions, including further limitations on people from the initial 19 countries already in the U.S.

This expansion of the travel ban is expected to face strong opposition from critics who believe the administration is using national security as a pretext to exclude people from numerous countries.

Laurie Ball Cooper, vice president of U.S. Legal Programs at the International Refugee Assistance Project, stated that the expanded ban is not about national security but an attempt to demonize people based solely on their origin.

Advocates for Afghans who supported the U.S. during the war in Afghanistan have also voiced concerns, noting the updated travel ban no longer includes an exception for Afghans eligible for the Special Immigrant Visa – a visa category for those who closely assisted the U.S. war effort and face significant risk as a result. No One Left Behind, an organization advocating for the Special Immigrant Visa program, expressed deep concern about this change. While acknowledging the president's commitment to national security, they argued that allowing vetted Afghans who served the U.S. to enter the country also contributes to national security.

The organization further stated that this policy change, while intended to review inconsistent vetting processes, inadvertently restricts those who are among the most rigorously vetted: wartime allies targeted by the same terrorists the proclamation seeks to address.

The Trump administration also upgraded restrictions on Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously under partial restrictions. In the case of Turkmenistan, the administration stated that the country had made sufficient improvements to warrant easing some restrictions on its travelers. The administration confirmed that all other aspects of the previous travel restrictions announced in June remain in effect.

The new restrictions on Palestinians follow earlier limitations that made it nearly impossible for Palestinian Authority passport holders to obtain travel documents for visiting the U.S. for business, work, leisure, or education. The current announcement goes further by banning people with Palestinian Authority passports from emigrating to the U.S.

In justifying its decision, the administration stated that several "U.S.-designated terrorist groups operate actively in the West Bank or Gaza Strip and have murdered American citizens." They also cited the recent conflict in those areas, claiming it had "likely resulted in compromised vetting and screening abilities."