MIAMI (AP) — A travel ban enacted by President Donald Trump targeting citizens from a dozen countries took effect on Monday, met with comparatively calm scenes at U.S. airports.
Travelers arriving with valid visas reported experiencing additional scrutiny upon their arrival, but no significant disruptions reminiscent of the turmoil witnessed during Trump’s first travel ban in 2017 were observed.
Vincenta Aguilar, a Guatemalan citizen, shared her feelings of anxiety as she and her husband were subjected to three different interviews by U.S. officials upon arriving at Miami International Airport.
The couple had just received their tourist visas a week prior and were visiting their son for the first time in 22 years.
“They asked us where we work, how many children we have, if we have had any problems with the law, how we are going to afford the cost of this travel, how many days we will stay here,” Aguilar stated, recounting the questioning.
They were allowed to leave about one hour after landing, joyfully reuniting with family in Florida.
Interestingly, Guatemala is not among the countries affected by the new travel ban.
President Trump’s recent proclamation directly impacts citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Moreover, heightened restrictions are imposed on individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, provided they do not hold a valid visa and are currently outside the U.S.
The new ban does not revoke previously issued visas, according to guidance communicated to U.S. diplomatic missions before the ban took effect.
Individuals with valid visas are still permitted to enter the U.S., although anyone seeking a visa from the listed countries must meet specific criteria to be exempted from the ban.
Narayana Lamy, a Haitian citizen working for the government in Haiti, described his experience at the Miami airport, noting that he had to wait for U.S. officials to verify his tourist visa before he could meet family members.
Luis Hernandez, a Cuban citizen and green card holder residing in the U.S. for three years, reported a smooth return after visiting family in Cuba, stating, “They did not ask me anything. I only showed my residency card.”
Unlike the chaotic scenes from Trump’s initial travel ban that led to protests and legal challenges, the new ban seems to have been crafted to mitigate such disruptions.
Legal experts believe its focus on the visa application process may help it withstand court challenges that hampered the earlier attempt.
President Trump indicated that the ban was necessary due to some countries having deficient security measures regarding passport screening and their historical refusal to accept citizens back.
He referenced an annual Homeland Security report detailing individuals who had overstayed their visas. Overstay rates have been a contentious issue for years, and the government has made minimal attempts to track these rates since 2016.
The new travel ban cites overstay rates for eight of the twelve countries affected.
Additionally, Trump linked the travel ban to a recent terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, arguing that it highlights risks posed by visitors who do not return to their home countries after their visas expire.
In that particular incident, the individual charged was an Egyptian national who did not fall under the new restrictions.
Criticism of the new travel ban emerged swiftly from various humanitarian organizations, underscoring that the policy is not genuinely about national security.
“This policy is not about national security — it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,” stated Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America.
Haiti’s transitional presidential council expressed their concerns, noting that the ban would likely have indiscriminate effects on all Haitians, especially amid ongoing violence involving gangs in the country.
They announced intentions to fortify borders while seeking discussions with the U.S. to reconsider Haiti’s status on the ban list.
In a contrasting viewpoint, Roland Bastien, a native of Haiti and now a U.S. citizen, expressed support for the travel ban, stating, “The ban is good. The United States wants to know exactly what type of people are coming into this country. I don’t have any problem with that.”
AP journalists Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, contributed to this coverage.
image source from：https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/as-trumps-new-travel-ban-begins-some-visitors-report-extra-scrutiny-at-u-s-airports
