The Trump administration is working on finalizing a travel ban that would prohibit citizens from a “red list” of countries from entering the U.S., officials told The New York Times and Reuters.
The ban would fall under an executive order, signed by the president on Jan. 20, titled “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other,” meant to address “national security and public safety threats.”
The order claims it will protect U.S. citizens from “aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.”
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It gave Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard a deadline of 60 days from the order – in about two weeks – to identify such countries and enact the ban.
“No decisions regarding possible travel bans have been made, and anyone claiming otherwise does not know what they are talking about,” a White House official told USA TODAY in an emailed statement.
The State Department, for its part, is reviewing all visa programs as directed by the executive order, a spokesperson told USA TODAY.
“All visa applicants undergo comprehensive vetting against a wide array of classified and unclassified information held by U.S. government agencies to ensure that consular officers can verify the applicant’s identity and identify any potential threats to U.S. national security,” they said in an emailed statement. “After issuance, visa holders undergo recurrent vetting to ensure they remain eligible for a visa.”
The spokesperson declined to comment on internal deliberations or communications.
According to the reports, the draft identifies “red list” countries as Sudan, Venezuela, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Libya, Cuba and North Korea – which Trump previously banned or restricted – to be barred from traveling to the U.S. Pakistan and Afghanistan are expected to be added to the list.
Countries coded as “orange” will have limited but not completely prohibited access, and “yellow” countries will have 60 days to address any “deficiencies” before facing restrictions.
It’s unclear if those with valid visas will lose their permitted entry into the U.S.
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Which countries did Trump ban last time?
In 2017, during Trump’s first term, the president created a series of bans against citizens from Muslim-majority countries. Those from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen were banned for 90 days, refugees for 120 days were blocked, and travel from Syria was suspended.
How long did the ban last?
President Joe Biden reversed Trump’s initial round of travel bans when he took office on Jan. 20, 2021.
How would the ban affect American travelers?
Americans could face an increased risk of harassment when traveling abroad to the countries the Trump administration is targeting, experts said.
American Society of Travel Advisors CEO Zane Kerby told Travel Weekly that “blanket ‘entire country’ travel bans constrain legitimate business and discourage friendly foreign visitors” and “risks retaliation from targeted countries and their allies.”
This story was updated to add new information.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump administration plans new travel ban—here’s who could be affected
