President Donald Trump cited a range of reasons for placing 19 countries under new travel bans or restrictions in the U.S.
They include allegations of lax screening of travelers, “a significant terrorist presence” in its territory, a government that wasn’t cooperative enough in accepting deported citizens or residents who were prone to overstaying their visas in the United States.
Here are the 12 countries placed under the ban, and the seven placed under travel restrictions:
Banned from US travel
Afghanistan
Chad
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Haiti
Iran
Libya
Myanmar
Republic of the Congo
Somalia
Sudan
Yemen
Restricted on US travel
Burundi
Cuba
Laos
Sierra Leone
Togo
Turkmenistan
Venezuela
Harvard University has denounced Trump’s executive order, which now bans it from bringing in new foreign students for six months.
“This is yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights,” said a Harvard spokesman. “Harvard will continue to protect its international students.”
Trump signed an order to restrict foreign student visas at Harvard – amid an escalating battle between universities and the US president – along with his recently announced travel ban.
“President Trump wants our institutions to have foreign students, but believes that the foreign students should be people that can love our country,” the White House said in a fact sheet.
It alleged Harvard was the top overseas academic institution for Chinese Communist Party officials, noting that President Xi Jinping’s daughter had studied there in the 2010s.
According to the White House, Harvard had a history of foreign ties with potential security implications, failed to supply sufficient information about students’ illegal activities; and had extensive contacts with foreign adversaries such as China.
It also said that many agitators behind antisemitic incidents were foreign students.
Reinstating a travel ban – a key part of Trump’s first administration – contributed to Trump’s successful 2024 campaign.
Last July, for example, Trump told rally goers in Minnesota he would “restore the travel ban, suspend refugee admissions, stop the resettlement and keep the terrorists the hell out of our country.”
As someone who previously focused on reporting about the US-Mexico border and immigration issues, I find it notable that the partial travel bans include citizens of Cuba and Venezuela, two of the countries that made up the bulk of arrivals at the border during Biden’s term.
Since returning to office, Trump’s team has often used the phrase “promises made, promises kept” – they are likely to use it again in the coming days.
Venezuela is one of seven countries affected by partial restrictions.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello has warned that “being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans”.
“The people who govern the United States are bad people – it’s fascism, they are supremacists who think they own the world and persecute our people for no reason”, he adds.
Meanwhile, Somalia – now hit with a full travel ban – has responded by immediately promising to work with the US to address security issues.
In a statement, Somalia’s ambassador to the US, Dahir Hassan Abdi, says his country “values its longstanding relationship” with America.
Who’s exempt from the travel ban?
Trump’s sweeping travel ban does contain some exceptions.
According to his proclamation, here are some of the people who may still be able to enter the US:
* Athletes travelling for major sporting events, like the World Cup or the Olympics
* Holders of “immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran”
* Afghan nationals holding Special Immigrant Visas
* Any “lawful permanent resident” of the US
* Dual nationals who have citizenship in countries not included in the travel ban
In addition, the Secretary of State may grant exemptions to individuals on a “case-by-case” basis, if “the individual would serve a United States national interest”.
By Agencies
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