The Trump administration signed a proclamation Wednesday suspending travel to the U.S. for residents from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Citing national security interests, the proclamation states that the identified countries lack sufficient vetting and screening processes needed to detect foreign nationals who may pose safety or terrorism threats to the U.S.
The proclamation also partially restricted entrance for nationals of seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Other considerations include a rustic’s information-sharing policies, presence of terrorists, visa overstay rates and whether residents who’re sent back are readily accepted, it said.
The ban is about to take effect on Monday at 12:01 a.m. ET.
The choice was based on information provided by the U.S. secretary of state, in coordination with the U.S. attorney general, the secretary of homeland security, and the director of national intelligence, the proclamation stated.
The policy mirrors an identical travel ban announced in January 2017, one week into Trump’s first term, which banned travel from seven Muslim-majority countries. That policy, while largely criticized, was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
That ban was later ended by President Joe Biden in 2021.
The brand new policy applies to foreigners from the named countries who’re outside of the US and who lack visas to enter as of Monday, June 9.
Certain travelers are excepted from the rule, it states, including U.S. everlasting residents, athletes traveling to attend major sporting events, and immediate members of the family with “clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship,” citing DNA for instance.
That is breaking news. Check back for updates.
