Trump administration weighs journey ban on dozens of nations, memo says

The Trump administration is contemplating issuing sweeping journey restrictions for the residents of dozens of nations as a part of a brand new ban, in keeping with sources aware of the matter and an inner memo seen by Reuters.

The memo lists a complete of 41 nations divided into three separate teams. The primary group of 10 nations, together with Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea amongst others, could be set for a full visa suspension.

Within the second group, 5 nations — Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan — would face partial suspensions that might influence vacationer and pupil visas in addition to different immigrant visas, with some exceptions.

Within the third group, a complete of 26 nations, which incorporates Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan amongst others. could be thought-about for a partial suspension of U.S. visa issuance if their governments “don’t make efforts to deal with deficiencies inside 60 days,” the memo mentioned.

A U.S. official talking on the situation of anonymity cautioned there may very well be adjustments on the record and that it was but to be permitted by the administration, together with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The New York Occasions first reported on the record of nations.

The transfer harkens again to President Donald Trump’s first-term ban on vacationers from seven majority-Muslim nations, a coverage that went by a number of iterations earlier than it was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Courtroom in 2018.

Trump issued an government order on Jan. 20 requiring intensified safety vetting of any foreigners in search of admission to the U.S. to detect nationwide safety threats.

That order directed a number of cupboard members to submit by March 21 a listing of nations from which journey ought to be partly or totally suspended as a result of their “vetting and screening data is so poor.”

Trump’s directive is a part of an immigration crackdown that he launched in the beginning of his second time period.

He previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to limit individuals from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “wherever else that threatens our safety.”

The State Division didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from Reuters.