The new ban by U.S. President Donald Trump took effect on Monday as some travelers with valid visas reported additional scrutiny at U.S. airports before accessing U.S. airports were allowed, and therefore took effect on Monday’s relative sedation.
The ban targets countries in Africa and the Middle East, exacerbating tensions amid the president's escalating immigration law enforcement campaign. But, during Trump's first travel ban in 2017, it showed no immediate signs of chaos at U.S. airports.
Vincenta Aguilar said she and her husband, two Guatemalan citizens, were interviewed in three different interviews after arriving at Miami International Airport and showing the tourist visa the couple received last week.
“They asked where we work, how many kids we have, how much we will be able to afford the trip if we have any questions about the law, how many days we will be here,” Aguilar said.
She said they were released about an hour after the flight landing to greet Florida’s waiting family. Guatemala is not among the countries included in the new ban and is not an additional travel restriction.
Trump's new ban should not revoke previously issued visas
The new declaration signed by Trump last week applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Sudan and Yemen. It also imposes higher restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who do not have valid visas outside the United States.
According to guidelines for all U.S. diplomatic missions, the new ban does not revoke visas previously issued from the list. However, unless the applicant meets the narrow standards of the exemption order, his or her application will be rejected from Monday. Travelers with previous visas should be able to enter the United States even after the ban comes into effect.
Haitian citizen Narayana Lamy, who works for the home country's government, said he was told to wait after showing his passport and tourist visa at Miami Airport on Monday, and U.S. officials confirmed by phone that he was allowed to enter the country to visit his family.
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Luis Hernandez, a Cuban citizen and green card holder who has lived in the United States for three years, said he had no problems returning to Miami on Monday after visiting his family in Cuba over the weekend.
“They didn't ask me anything,” Hernandez said. “I only showed my residence card.”
The ban seems to avoid chaos after Trump's first attempt
During Trump’s first term, a hasty written executive order ordered the refusal of citizens of primarily Muslim countries to cause confusion at many airports and other entrance mouths, thus facilitating successful legal challenges and major revisions to the policy.
Many immigration experts say the new ban is more elaborate and seems to be aimed at defeating the court’s challenges that hinder the first challenge by focusing on the visa application process.
Trump said this time that some countries have “under-short” screened passports and other public documents, or have historically refused to take back their citizens. He relies extensively on the annual Homeland Security Report, which people who stay in the United States after their visa expires.
Trump also kidnapped the new ban in a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, and said it highlighted the danger posed by some tourists with expired visas. The man charged in the attack was placed on a tourist visa, U.S. officials said. He is from Egypt, which is not on Trump's restrictive list.
Critics say travel ban
The ban was quickly condemned by groups that provided assistance and resettlement to refugees.
“This policy has nothing to do with national security, but about the sectors sowing in the community seeking security and opportunities in the United States,” said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, a nonprofit international relief organization.
Haiti's Transitional Presidential Committee said in a statement that the ban “could affect all Haitians indiscriminately” and hopes to convince the United States to remove Haiti from the list of banned countries.
In Venezuela, some visa holders changed their U.S. travel plans last week to lead Trump’s restrictions. For those without a visa, the new restrictions may not matter. Since Venezuela and the United States cut off diplomatic relations in 2019, Venezuelans have had to travel to neighboring South American countries to obtain U.S. visas.
José Luis Vegas, a tech worker in the Venezuelan capital, said his uncle gave up renewing his U.S. visa because it was already difficult before the restrictions were restricted.
“Paying for hotels and tickets is very expensive, and a date takes up to a year,” Vegas said.
AP reporter Regina Garcia Cano is located in Caracas, Venezuela, Dánica Coto in San Juan, Dánica Coto in Puerto Rico and Evens Sanon and Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Port-au-Prince in Haiti contributed to the story.
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
