President Donald Trump on Wednesday barred nearly all immigration and travel from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, citing poor vetting and terrorism threats.
What Happened: The proclamation also restricts some visas for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, blocking new green-card seekers and tightening rules for certain visitors. The order, effective 12:01 a.m. EDT Monday, June 9, does not cancel visas already issued but stops new applications after that deadline.
Trump said in an official video address that the recent Boulder attack "underscored the extreme dangers" of admitting foreigners who overstay their visas; Egypt, the suspect's homeland, is not on the list.
White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson added in a statement shared with CBS that the "commonsense restrictions" target countries that "lack proper vetting, exhibit high visa-overstay rates, or fail to share threat information."
What To Know: Exemptions cover U.S. permanent residents, diplomats, athletes, Afghans who aided American forces and dual citizens traveling with a passport from an unrestricted country. Trump said he would lift the bans if governments make material improvements and also warned he could add nations as new threats emerge.
According to a separate Associated Press report, immigration advocates condemned the fresh ban, recalling the 2017 "Muslim ban" that roiled airports before the Supreme Court upheld a revised version in 2018.
Trump's allies say tougher vetting fulfils his campaign pledge and mirrors his earlier vow for an expanded travel ban.
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