The Trump administration is reportedly planning travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban.
This potential new travel ban is believed to be broader than the versions President Donald Trump issued in his first term.
During Trump’s first administration, in 2017, a partial ban – labeled the ‘Muslim ban’ by the president and his aides – was imposed on travelers from predominantly Muslim-population nations.
Now, the president appears to be expanding the scope of the travel ban to include 43 countries.
On January 20, President Trump signed an executive order directing cabinet members to compile a list of countries within 60 days that should face full or partial travel restrictions due to ‘deficient vetting and screening information.’
According to the president, the travel ban is intended to ‘protect citizens from aliens who seek to commit terrorist acts, threaten national security, promote hateful ideology, or exploit immigration laws for harmful purposes.’
As the deadline nears, a draft list of affected countries is reportedly circulating, per The New York Times.
In a statement, the State Department press office confirmed its commitment to implementing Trump’s executive order, emphasizing its dedication to ‘upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through the visa process.’ However, it declined to comment on internal discussions.
The draft list is said to be categorized into three levels of restriction—red, orange, and yellow.
The ‘red’ list reportedly includes 11 countries whose citizens would be entirely barred from entering the U.S.: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
The ‘orange’ list consists of 10 countries where entry will be restricted but not entirely prohibited. Citizens from Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan would need specific visas and must undergo in-person interviews to obtain them, according to reports.
Meanwhile, 22 countries—mostly in Africa—are believed to be on the ‘yellow’ list. These nations have been given 60 days to resolve concerns about alleged ‘deficiencies’ in their screening and vetting processes.
According to The New York Times, failure to comply could result in a move to the ‘red’ or ‘orange’ list. The affected countries include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe.
On his first day in office in 2021, former President Joe Biden issued a proclamation ending Trump’s travel ban.
He denounced the restrictions as ‘a stain on our national conscience’ and stated they were ‘inconsistent with our long history of welcoming people of all faiths and no faith at all.’
