Trump Signs Travel Ban to US Targeting 12 Countries
Synopsis
President Donald Trump has signed a new travel ban preventing nationals from 12 countries from entering the United States, marking his latest immigration crackdown since returning to office. The restrictions target Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad,…
President Donald Trump has signed a new travel ban preventing nationals from 12 countries from entering the United States, marking his latest immigration crackdown since returning to office. The restrictions target Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The White House issued the proclamation Tuesday night, and Trump invoked national security interests as the basis for the broad restrictions. Seven more countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela - are subject to partial travel restrictions under the same order.
Administration Defends Security Measures
White House press secretary Abigail Jackson called the ban "common-sense restrictions" aimed at safeguarding Americans from harmful foreign actors. She stressed that the measures are country-based and are focused on countries that do not have adequate vetting systems in place, have high visa overstay rates, or do not provide identity and threat information.
"President Trump will always do what's in the best interest of the American people and their safety," Jackson said to the press, noting the president is making good on campaign vows to enhance border security.
Trump used a recent Colorado attack involving Egyptian nationals when issuing the ban, though Egypt is not among the countries listed under the prohibition. The president attributed what he termed as Biden's "open-door policies" as the reason for letting in harmful individuals into America.
Democrats Criticize Broader Restrictions
Congressional Democrats were quick to denounce the new travel ban, likening it to Trump's first-term "Muslim ban" that was widely litigated. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said it was a broadening of earlier restrictions that would "further isolate us on the world stage."
"Banning an entire class of individuals because you object to the form or function of their government assigns blame to the wrong party," Jayapal posted on social media.
Rep. Don Beyer criticized Trump for abandoning America's founding principles, contending that resorting to "prejudice and bigotry to keep people from entering the U.S. does not make us safer, it just divides us."
Legal Battles Expected Ahead
The announcement is much like Trump's 2017 travel ban, which drew huge protests at airports across the country and was challenged in courts the moment it was issued. The previous ban was revised several times before the Supreme Court finally granted it full enforcement in 2018.
Legal analysts are forecasting similar litigation for this broadened version, although the administration is convinced that it has the power to enact such security steps under the authority of presidential proclamation powers.
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