Travel ban vs restrictions: How will Trump’s new order affect 19 listed countries?
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation, imposing a travel ban on nationals from 12 countries and partial restrictions on seven others, citing terrorism and national security risks. Affecting 19 nations, including Cuba and Haiti, the order cites Trump v. Hawaii (2018) to restrict entry under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
President Donald Trump issued travel bans for 12 countries on Wednesday(AFP)
Fully Restricted (12): Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen
Partially Restricted (7): Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela
Read More: Why did Donald Trump order a ban on travellers from 12 countries?
Travel Ban vs Restrictions: Key Differences
Full Travel Ban (12 Countries)
Complete suspension of entry for all nationals, regardless of visa type, except for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, specific visa categories, and those serving US national interests.
According to the White House press release, entry is barred for students, tourists, workers, and refugees, severely limiting migration and travel.
Partial Restrictions (7 Countries)
The order limits entry for specific visa types—immigrant visas and nonimmigrant B-1 (business), B-2 (tourism), B-1/B-2, F (student), M (vocational), and J (exchange) visas—while allowing other categories (eg, H-1B, diplomatic).
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This comes days after President Trump blamed former President Joe Biden’s immigration policies for the recent Boulder attack, which injured several locals. The suspect, an Egyptian, overstayed his visa.
“The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas. We don’t want them,” Trump said on social media.
In a separate proclamation, the Trump admin said that it is suspending the visas of foreign students seeking to participate in exchange programs at Harvard University. The president accused the school of failing to discipline conduct violations on campus and complained the university had only turned over information about three foreign students accused of dangerous, illegal, or threatening activity.
“Harvard’s actions show that it either is not fully reporting its disciplinary records for foreign students or is not seriously policing its foreign students,” Trump said.
