WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Tuesday expanded a travel ban to include seven additional countries, including Syria, and barred entry to those holding Palestinian Authority passports.
Expanded Travel Ban Includes Nearly 40 Countries
The latest restrictions bring the total number of countries facing U.S. entry restrictions based on nationality to nearly 40. Trump also tightened rules for routine travel from Western nations, according to the White House.
The White House stated the ban targets foreigners who “intend to threaten” Americans and those who would “undermine or destabilize” U.S. culture, government, or institutions.
Syria was added to the ban days after two U.S. troops and a civilian were killed in the country. Syrian authorities identified the perpetrator as a security force member with “extremist Islamist ideas.”
The administration had already informally barred travel for Palestinian Authority passport holders in support of Israel against the recognition of a Palestinian state by Western countries like France and Britain.
Other countries newly subjected to the full travel ban include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan, as well as Laos.
Partial travel restrictions were also imposed on citizens of Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Senegal, including those countries qualified for the upcoming World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Trump administration promised to allow athletes to enter for the competition, but made no such assurances for fans.
Additional countries facing partial restrictions are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, along with Tonga.
Angola, Senegal, and Zambia have been prominent U.S. partners in Africa, with former President Joe Biden previously praising their commitment to democracy.
Ramping Up Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric
Global Refuge, a refugee support organization, warned the travel ban would endanger vulnerable populations. “The administration is once again using the language of security to justify blanket exclusions that punish entire populations, rather than utilizing individualized, evidence-based screening,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, the group’s president and CEO.
Trump has used increasingly critical language regarding immigration, recently complaining that the U.S. only accepts people from “shithole countries” and should prioritize immigrants from Norway and Sweden. He also described Somalis as “garbage” following allegations of fraudulent contracts in Minnesota.
Trump had already banned entry to Somalis. Other countries remaining on the full travel ban include Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Sudan, and Yemen.
Last month, Trump further expanded the ban against Afghans, ending a program for those who fought alongside U.S. forces against the Taliban, following an incident where an Afghan veteran with potential post-traumatic stress shot two National Guards troops in Washington.
The White House acknowledged “significant progress” by Turkmenistan, allowing its nationals to secure U.S. visas as non-immigrants. Trump has also significantly reduced refugee admissions, now primarily accepting South Africans from the white Afrikaner minority.
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