Why in News?
President Donald Trump, nearly five months into his second term, signed a new travel ban restricting entry from 12 countries and limiting visas for seven others.
Aimed at reviving his earlier immigration agenda, the ban is intended to curb a possible surge in immigration. It will take effect at 12:01 am on June 9.
What’s in Today’s Article?
- Travel Ban
- New Travel Ban Under Trump
- Precedents to the Travel Ban
- Current Ban Is Different
Travel Ban
- A travel ban is a U.S. federal policy that restricts or prohibits nationals from specific countries from entering the country.
- It may involve full entry bans or limitations on certain visa categories.
- Trump’s Revived Policy
- President Trump’s latest order revives his first-term travel ban, with five previously affected countries reappearing in the new list.
- Reason Behind the New Ban
- The new ban follows a deadly attack in Boulder, Colorado, allegedly by an Egyptian national.
- Though Egypt is not on the list, Trump used the incident to highlight the dangers of visa overstays and inadequate screening from certain countries.
New Travel Ban Under Trump
- The travel ban fully restricts entry for citizens from 12 countries. Partial restrictions apply to travelers from 7 Countries.
- Purpose of the Ban
- The ban aims to encourage cooperation with each listed country, considering their “unique circumstances.”
- Countries may negotiate with the U.S. to ease restrictions, following a process similar to Trump’s trade negotiations.
- Criteria for Inclusion
- Countries were included based on:
- Inadequate screening and vetting procedures
- High visa overstay rates
- Presence of terrorist actors or support for terrorism
- Refusal to accept deported nationals
- Specific Allegations
- Iran and Cuba: Labeled state sponsors of terrorism
- Somalia: Called a terrorist safe haven
- Afghanistan: Identified as being controlled by the Taliban, a designated global terrorist group
- Haiti: Accused of sending “hundreds of thousands” of illegal migrants.
- Trump and VP JD Vance also made controversial and unverified claims about immigrants abducting pets.
- Exemptions
- The ban does not apply to:
- Current visa holders
- U.S. permanent residents
- Dual nationals of banned countries traveling on a non-restricted passport
Precedents to the Travel Ban
- 2016 Campaign Rhetoric: Donald Trump called for a Muslim ban and a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the U.S., using inflammatory language such as Islam hates us.
- First Ban (January 2017): Banned citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen) for 90 days. It was overturned by a federal judge within a month.
- Second Ban (March 2017): Exempted green card and visa holders. Also blocked by federal judges.
- Third Ban (September 2017): Included Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen. Upheld by the Supreme Court in June 2018. Chad was later removed after cooperation with the U.S.
- Fourth Ban (January 2020): Targeted immigrants (not tourists) from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania.
- Biden's Repeal (2021): President Joe Biden repealed all previous bans, calling them “a stain on our national conscience.”
Current Ban Is Different
- Broader Anti-Immigration Context
- Comes alongside Trump's wider immigration crackdown in his second term—declaring a national emergency at the southern border, denying asylum, conducting raids, and limiting student admissions.
- Administrative Framing
- Unlike earlier bans, this one does not explicitly target Muslim-majority nations.
- Instead, it cites national security, overstay rates, terrorism links, and lack of cooperation from foreign governments.
- Legally More Cautious
- Legal experts suggest this ban is more likely to survive legal scrutiny.
- The delay in announcement suggests internal deliberation to bolster its legal standing.
- Focus on Implementation
- Experts warn the legality may ultimately depend on how fairly and consistently the policy is enforced.
