Media reports show that a new travel ban on the horizon in slightly different iterations.
Reuters reported on Monday that the upcoming travel ban would affect citizens from 41 countries.
This list consists of three different categories of countries that are completely banned, countries that are significantly restricted to travel to the US, and countries that are 60 days to address concerns.
Reuters has identified Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea as five out of 10 countries whose citizens are subject to a full visa suspension. According to last week's article in The New York Times, the full list includes Afghanistan. Bhutan; Cuba; Iran; Libya; North Korea; Somalia; Sudan; Syria; Yemen; and Venezuela.
These seven countries have been in different iterations of Trump's “Muslim Travel No-Travel List” in 2017, but continue to remain on the banned list. These countries include: Libya; North Korea; Somalia; Sudan; Syria; Yemen and Venezuela.
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In the second group, Reuters listed Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan as five countries facing a partial halt. Such suspensions will affect visas for tourists and students, as well as other immigration visas. Citizens on that list will also face a mandatory face-to-face interview to receive their visa.
Reuters said it features a total of 26 countries in the third group of 60 days to address concerns. These countries include Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan. The New York Times were in the second group of Pakistan due to a partial halt.
The list was developed in response to an executive order issued to the State Department on January 20th. To identify a country that “is so scarce that it is short enough to guarantee a partial or complete suspension of national entry for citizens,” the threat of threatening the safety of its citizens, to “protect citizens from foreigners who try to commit terrorist attacks,” patients can threaten the patient.
A full report and a final list of countries are scheduled for this week.
Original travel ban
Trump sparked anger when he issued a “Muslim” travel ban within a week during his first term in January 2017. The countries on his original list were the majority of seven Muslims: Iran. Iraq; Libya; Somalia; Sudan; Syria; and Yemen. The order also halted the invasion of Syrian refugees indefinitely.
The order affected individuals regardless of immigration situation, including those with green cardholders and employment-based visas. Travelers with a valid visa and permanent residence were denied entry.
After massive protests and confusion at the airport, the court pushed back the ban, and in February 2017 the initial ban was blocked by a temporary restraining order in Washington v Trump.
Three more iterations of the ban followed, with numerous lawsuits filed in federal court against the Trump administration. One of the most successful cases was Trump v Hawaii, a lawsuit on behalf of Hawaii. The Hawaii Muslim Association, Dr. Ismail Elsik and two plaintiffs John Doe challenged various iterations of the ban.
After Trump issued a second ban in March 2017, he banned people from Iran. Libya; North Korea; Syria; Venezuela; Yemen; Somalia — The Hawaii District Court issued a nationwide injunction against the second edition of the ban confirmed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on June 12, 2017.
The court has barred the government from enforcing a ban on foreigners who have “authorized relationships” with US individuals or groups.
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However, the government has interpreted the verdict narrowly by issuing new guidance prohibiting “grandparents, grandchildren, aunt, uncle, nie, ne, cousin, stepbrothers, fiancées, fiancées and other members of “extended” families” as not “close” families.
In July 2017, the Hawaii District Court ruled that the definition “represents an antithesis of common sense,” preventing the government from enforcing it. After the government's appeal, the 9th Circuit primarily left the district court order, maintaining some of the orders relating to refugees.
Trump issued a third iteration of the ban in September 2017, and the lawsuit returned to Hawaii District Court. The court ruled that it violated the Immigration and Nationality Act and violated the enforcement of the core part of the prohibition. The Ninth Circuit declared, but the Supreme Court allowed Muslim ban 3.0 to be enabled as the appeal progressed.
In January 2018, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, which was heard on April 25, 2018, and its opinion was published on June 26, 2018.
The court overturned the grant of a provisional injunction after five to four decisions. In doing so, they rejected both the statutory and constitutional agendas of the prohibition.
Despite a series of evidence that the ban is unconstitutional and motivated by anti-Muslim animus, the majority have said that “() can reasonably be understood to be due to justification that is not dependent on the basis of unconstitutionality,” and accepted the government's claim that the policy came after the country's neutral review to support public protests.
The third iteration of the ban imposed full visa restrictions on citizens from eight countries, of which six were primarily Muslims. These countries included Chad. Iran; Libya; North Korea; Syria; Venezuela; Yemen; and Somalia.
Iranian citizens have been allowed to enter under valid students (F and M) and exchange visitors (J), but such individuals will “enhance the screening and screening requirements.”
In April 2018, the administration removed Chad's travel restrictions.
In January 2020, a fourth travel ban was enacted, including additional countries such as Eritrea. Kyrgyzstan; Myanmar; Nigeria; Sudan; Tanzania restricted applications for immigration from these countries, but did not restrict entry by non-immigrants.
The dangers of legal immigration
Many have expressed concern that the new travel ban could affect green card holders in banned countries, just as it was originally established in January 2017 when green card holders were prevented from entering the country.
Immigration lawyers have warned green card holders in countries facing bans to delay travel outside the US until policies are confirmed.
On his first day in office in January 2025, Trump laid out a blueprint where he forced foreigners to express Palestinian sentiment and took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
The order also called for increased screening measures for “all aliens seeking admission” to the United States.
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In the same month, he implemented executive orders, additional measures to combat anti-Semitism. This allows federal agencies to “use available and appropriate legal tools to prosecute, remove or explain the perpetrators of illegal anti-Semitic harassment and violence.”
Eric Lee, an immigration lawyer representing several university students who faced expulsion in cases related to Palestinian activities, said green cardholders will be affected in an interview with the Eye of the Middle East.
Earlier this month, the administration said it had revoked the green card for Palestinian alumni and activist Mahmoud Khalil. He is currently being held at a Louisiana detention center.
Last week, the Trump administration began retroactively canceling visas for Libyan students, ahead of the new travel ban, according to a New Arab news report. American embassies in multiple countries have notified several visa holders, including those already in the US, and notified that their visa had been revoked. These individuals were instructed to report to their respective US embassies for further interviews.
