Washington — President Donald Trump’s new travel ban on citizens from 12 predominantly African and Middle Eastern nations came into effect this Monday, escalating tensions related to immigration enforcement policies.
The travel ban affects citizens from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Additionally, it imposes heightened restrictions for individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela who are outside the U.S. and do not possess valid visas.
While the new proclamation does not revoke visas previously issued to individuals from the listed countries, guidance provided on Friday to all U.S. diplomatic missions stated that applications will be rejected unless applicants meet very specific exemption criteria.
Individuals with previously issued visas will still be allowed entry into the U.S. despite the new restrictions.
During President Trump’s first term, a swiftly written executive order that barred entry for citizens from primarily Muslim nations caused chaos at airports and ports nationwide, resulting in successful legal challenges and significant revisions to the policy.
However, initial reports indicated that no major disruptions were seen at Los Angeles International Airport shortly after the travel ban took effect.
Elvanise Louis-Juste, a Haitian-American at the Newark airport in New Jersey, expressed concern for those affected by the travel ban, particularly Haitians seeking refuge from violence and unrest.
“I have family in Haiti, so it’s pretty upsetting to see and hear,” said Louis-Juste, 23.
“I don’t think it’s a good thing. I think it’s very upsetting.”
Immigration experts note that the new ban is more strategically crafted, likely designed to withstand court challenges by focusing specifically on the visa application process.
President Trump argued that the restrictions stem from certain countries having
image source from：https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-travel-ban-nationals-12-countries-takes-effect/
