US President Donald Trump’s new travel ban came into force at the stroke of midnight Monday, keeping out citizens of 12 countries, an effort to shield the country from possible terrorism threats. The ban at 12:01 a.m. ET (0401 GMT) applies to Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Aside from these nations, the entry of seven others Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will be partially restricted. The White House sanctioned the ban citing the reasons of “large-scale presence of terrorists,” inadequate cooperation on visa security, inability to identify travelers, inadequate record-keeping of criminal records, and excessive visa overstays.
President Trump alluded to a recent Boulder, Colorado, attack in which an Egyptian citizen hurled a gasoline bomb into a pro-Israel protest as justification for bolstering border security, even though Egypt itself is not targeted by the ban.
The new policy is reminiscent of Trump’s inaugural-term travel ban targeting seven Muslim nations, solidifying his overall agenda to advance US immigration restrictions.
The decision was met with anger and shock in countries affected. Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno retaliated by directing his government to stop granting visas to American citizens, upholding Chad’s pride even without the economic influence of wealthier countries.
Afghan interpreters who worked with US troops or development projects worried that the ban would compel them to go back to Taliban-held territory and face retribution.
The move was also condemned by US lawmakers. Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna described the ban as “draconian and unconstitutional,” stating that individuals have the right to claim asylum in the United States. The policy remains to drive arguments over immigration and national security in a polarized political environment.
