Trump announces travel ban affects more than a dozen countries that will take effect on Monday
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has resurrected the travel ban policy since his first term, signing a declaration Wednesday night that blocked people from entering the United States.
These countries include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
In addition to the ban that came into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will also be subject to greater restrictions.
“I must act to protect the national security and national interests of the United States and its people,” Trump said in the announcement.
Of the 19 countries under the ban and restrictions, ten are in Africa, nine of which are from black African countries. Several of them, including Sierra Leone, Togo and Equatorial Guinea, are known for armed groups that pose a major threat to the West.
The list was issued by an executive order on January 20, requiring Trump to release it, requiring the Department of National and Homeland Security and National Intelligence to be responsible for reports on “hostile attitudes” to the United States and whether entry of certain countries represents national security risks.
During his first term, Trump issued an executive order in January 2017 prohibiting travel to the United States by citizens of seven primarily Muslim countries (Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen).
It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Travelers in these countries are either banned from flights to the United States or are detained at U.S. airports after they land. They include students, faculty and staff as well as businessmen, tourists, and those who visit friends and family.
The order, commonly known as a “Muslim ban” or a “travel ban,” was reorganized in a legal challenge until the Supreme Court was upheld a version by the Supreme Court in 2018.
The ban affected various travelers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, as well as North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.
Trump and others defended the ban on national security grounds initially, believing it was to protect the country rather than based on anti-Muslim bias. However, the president called for a clear ban on Muslims during the White House's first campaign.
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Amiri reports on the United Nations. Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to the report.
