The United States is contemplating imposing restrictions on arrivals from another 36 nations, which would mark a considerable broadening of such measures.
the travel ban
Announced by the Trump administration earlier this month, as stated in a State Department memo seen by The Washington Post.
A number of newly targeted countries facing potential visa sanctions or additional limitations include 25 from Africa, encompassing key allies like Egypt and Djibouti, along with states in the Caribbean, Central Asia, and various island nations in the Pacific.
A representative from the State Department stated that the agency would refrain from commenting on internal discussions or correspondences. The White House has not yet provided a statement when asked for comments.
This step would represent yet another intensification of the Trump administration’s stringent approach towards curbing immigration.
The memorandum, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and dispatched on Saturday to U.S. officials dealing with those specific countries, informed that the administrations of the designated states had been granted a 60-day window to fulfill fresh criteria and stipulations outlined by the State Department. The recipients were asked to submit their preliminary strategies for adhering to these conditions by 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
The memorandum outlined various standards that, according to the administration, those nations were not meeting. Certain countries lacked “any effective or collaborative central governmental body capable of generating trustworthy identification papers or other official documentation,” or faced issues with “pervasive governmental deceit.” Additionally, some nations reported significant numbers of residents who remained in the U.S. beyond their visa expiration dates, as stated in the document.
Other factors involved the option for citizenship through financial investment without needing to reside in the country, along with allegations of “anti-Semitic and anti-American activities within the United States” made by individuals from those nations. Additionally, the memorandum mentioned that should a country express willingness,
accept third-country nationals
Who were expelled from the United States or entered into a “safe third country” agreement might alleviate some of these issues.
It wasn’t immediately evident when the suggested travel limitations would come into effect if the requirements weren’t fulfilled.
The nations highlighted for examination in the memorandum include: Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Benin; Bhutan; Burkina Faso; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; the Democratic Republic of Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Ethiopia; Egypt; Gabon; The Gambia; Ghana; Côte d’Ivoire; Kyrgyzstan; Liberia; Malawi; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; São Tomé and Príncipe; Senegal; South Sudan; Syria; Tanzania; Tonga; Tuvalu; Uganda; Vanuatu; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.
This list signifies something quite important.
widening of a president’s declaration
issued June 4, when the United States fully restricted the entry of individuals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The United States also had partially restricted the entry of travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela under that order.
Critics such as Democrats have characterized the Trump administration’s attempts to enforce broad travel restrictions on certain countries as prejudiced and discriminatory. They highlight President Donald Trump’s focus on restricting travelers from predominantly Muslim countries during his first term and underscore the significant inclusion of African and Caribbean nations under these measures in his current term.
Early in his first term, Trump attempted to restrict travel from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya. The initial version of the ban caused confusion and chaos at airports. It faced numerous legal challenges until the Supreme Court upheld the third version of it in June 2018.
While the travel ban was rescinded under the Biden administration, Trump repeatedly pledged to reinstate it on the campaign trail, stating it would be “bigger than before.”
On Inauguration Day, the White House issued an
executive order
urging U.S. agencies, such as the State Department, to identify “nations around the globe where the lack of adequate vetting and screening data may necessitate a temporary or complete halt to admitting citizens from these countries.”
Hannah Natanson contributed to this report.
Leave a Reply