Trump Expands Travel Ban To Include Palestinian Arabs
President Donald Trump on Tuesday approved a new proclamation that widens his administration’s travel ban, extending full entry restrictions to additional countries, according to Newsmax Wires.
The White House said the directive blocks most travel to the United States by nationals of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, citing ongoing failures by those governments to satisfy U.S. security and screening requirements, Reuters reported.
Officials said the decision reflects concerns that authorities in those nations cannot consistently verify the identities or backgrounds of travelers, a vulnerability the administration says poses a risk to public safety.
The proclamation also applies full restrictions to individuals traveling on documents issued by the Palestinian Authority, a measure the administration said was necessary to eliminate a weakness in the existing vetting process, Reuters said.
The latest move builds on a proclamation Trump signed on June 4 that created a layered system of travel bans and visa limitations tied directly to national security considerations, according to the Federal Register.
Under that earlier order, the administration halted most new visas for citizens of Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, based on State Department guidance summarizing the policy.
That June proclamation also introduced partial visa suspensions for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, applying only to certain visa categories, the State Department said.
Administration officials said the countries targeted in the June action were chosen due to factors such as high visa overstay rates, unreliable passport and civil registry systems, and limited cooperation with U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated earlier this month that further expansion was under consideration, saying during a television interview that more than 30 countries were being reviewed.
Noem said the administration’s objective was to restore “common-sense enforcement” and ensure that everyone entering the United States undergoes thorough and reliable vetting.
CBS News separately reported that Department of Homeland Security officials had completed internal security assessments and were preparing to roll out additional restrictions based on those findings.
Supporters of the travel ban argue that the policy fulfills Trump’s long-standing pledge to prioritize American safety and tighten enforcement they believe had eroded under previous administrations.
The expanded restrictions come as the administration presses ahead with a broader immigration crackdown that includes tougher border controls, increased interior enforcement, and a renewed emphasis on national sovereignty, according to multiple media reports.
Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security proposed new regulations that would require travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries to provide more extensive personal information, including social media history.
Officials said those proposed rules are designed to close loopholes exploited by hostile actors and prevent visa-free travel from becoming a security risk.
Immigration policy analysts outside the administration said the expanded ban substantially raises the number of people subject to U.S. entry limits, according to the American Immigration Council.
The Council on Foreign Relations noted that many of the countries facing full bans are dealing with instability or conflict, conditions U.S. officials argue make dependable screening extremely difficult.
Critics have warned that the policy could damage diplomatic relationships, but administration officials have responded that security imperatives take precedence over diplomatic concerns.
The White House has stressed that the proclamation allows for narrow exceptions and case-by-case waivers for individuals who clearly satisfy U.S. security standards, consistent with the framework established in June.
{Matzav.com}
