Trump Administration Considers New Travel Ban Affecting 43 Countries
The Donald Trump administration is considering imposing a new travel ban that could affect citizens from as many as 43 countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Russia, according to a report by The New York Times.
Red, Orange, and Yellow. Countries on the Red List would face a complete ban on entering the United States. Pakistan and Russia are included in the "Orange List," which consists of 10 countries facing restricted travel rather than an outright ban. Affluent business travelers might be allowed to enter, but immigrant and tourist visa applicants would face restrictions. Citizens on that list would also be subjected to mandatory in-person interviews in order to receive a visa.
Other countries in the "Orange List" include Myanmar, Belarus, Haiti, Laos, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan.
The draft also places 10 countries, including Afghanistan and Bhutan, on the Red List, meaning their citizens could face a full visa suspension. The other countries on the Red List are Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
The proposal also includes a draft "yellow" list of 22 countries that would be given 60 days to clear up perceived deficiencies, with the threat of being moved onto one of the other lists if they did not comply. The issues could include failing to share with the United States information about incoming travelers, purportedly inadequate security practices for issuing passports, or the selling of citizenship to people from banned countries, which could serve as a loophole around the restrictions.
This would be the second time that Donald Trump would impose a travel ban. In his first term, he restricted the citizens from seven Muslim-majority nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. That ban targeted citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
6 Comments
Marishka
This is a direct attack on our economy. Tourism and investment from these countries will be severely impacted, harming our businesses and workers.
Pupsik
This is a strong and decisive action. It shows that President Trump is serious about protecting our country.
Marishka
This is not a religious ban. It is based on national security concerns. We need to be clear about that.
Pupsik
This is a slippery slope. Today it's these countries, tomorrow it could be any country. We cannot allow this to stand.
Marishka
This will make it harder for terrorists to enter the country. We need to do everything we can to keep them out.
KittyKat
This is a betrayal of our heritage. America was built by immigrants, and this ban flies in the face of our values.