3 days Ago
The list contains Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Seven other countries, including known antagonists like Myanmar, will receive partial restrictions.
Trump defended the ban as a necessary protective step to shield Americans from "dangerous foreign actors." He cautioned that the list could grow as "emerging threats" evolved or, conversely, shrink if there were "material improvements" in the affected countries.
Security Rationales and Repercussions
In truth social post, Trump pointed to the recent Boulder, Colorado attack as a reason for more rigorous vetting. The attack itself, which used Molotov cocktails and a homemade flamethrower, left 12 injured. The F.B.I. called it a suspected terrorist incident by an Egyptian national — Egypt was not part of the ban.
The White House said the policy amounts to "common sense restrictions" but critics contend it is reviving former president Donald Trump's 2017 ban targeting some Muslim-majority countries and adding new pretexts for restrictions. The action is certain to face legal challenges from civil rights groups and immigration advocates.
International and National Responses
The decision has prompted an immediate international backlash. Chad responded by suspending visa-related services for American citizens. Somalia, another country on the list, has said that it would engage with the U.S. to address security concerns. The African Union called on the U.S. to use positive diplomacy rather than impose directives unilaterally.
Stateside, Democrats there immediately took the move to task. "This is a reckless expansion of an already irresponsible ban that is now just about to lead to more legal immigration, separating families and making America less safe," wrote Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state.
But defenders, including Representative Clay Higgins, said the "travel to the U.S. is a privilege, not a right," and hailed the order as a step toward national security.
