Late on Wednesday June 4, President Trump signed an order that revives and enlarges his 2017 “travel-ban.” Beginning after midnight Eastern time on June 9,
- The order blocks all immigrant and non-immigrant visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
- It also imposes severe limits on Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, cutting off immigrant visas and the most common short-stay categories (tourist/business B-1/B-2 and student/exchange F, M, J visas).
The White House says these nineteen governments fail information-sharing and identity-management tests and visa-overstay rates from these countries are unacceptable. The order cites, for example, Somalis overstaying student visas 70% and Chadian tourists overstaying nearly half the time. In the president’s view, that data plus “persistent terrorist presence” make a blanket bar justified.
Green-card holders, diplomats, NATO personnel, and dual nationals travelling on an unaffected passport are exempt. So are immediate family immigrant visas backed by DNA evidence, Afghan and U.S-government special-immigrant visas, some adoption categories, and athletes competing in major global sporting events. The State or Justice Departments can grant individual waivers for “national interest.”
Together, the targeted countries account for roughly 475 million people. In 2023 alone, more than 115,000 of their citizens became U.S. lawful permanent residents (many in health care and STEM fields).
- Since 1975 only one fatal U.S. terror attack involved a perpetrator from the twelve fully-banned nations; the annual risk to an American was about 1 in 13.9 billion.
- The omission of Egypt—home to the recent Colorado flamethrower attacker—and of Syria, long a focal point of U.S. counter-terror strategy, are notable suggesting that politics, not security, drove the final list. Saudi Arabia is also notable for its absence – 15 of the 19 terrorists on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia (two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was from Lebanon, and one was from Egypt).
- Immigrants from the twelve banned states had a 2023 incarceration rate 70% below that of U.S-born residents.
In Trump v. Hawaii (2018) the Supreme Court upheld the third iteration of Trump’s first-term travel ban 5 to 4, signaling that 8 U.S.C. §1182(f) gives presidents wide latitude to bar categories of foreign nationals. However, since then the non-delegation doctrine has gained adherents. It limits how much power Congress can give up to the discretion of the executive.
Trump is failing so badly he has to distract his racist xenophobic cult with something exciting. Amirite
Add this to the number of people that have no intention of visiting the US for at the next four years or so and you aren’t going to have any tourists at all…
The list of countries makes no sense at all, but that appears to be the trend right now.
Muslim Ban Part 2
His economic “policies” are failing What else is the Dear Leader to do?
Theater. As for domestic terrorists and criminals, he pardons them.
I’ve been a republican since I became a citizen. I would never have considered voting for a Democrat because of my opinion of them but I won’t post those opinions here to keep things professional, but this upcoming mid term next year, I will vote for the Democrats from the top to the bottom of the ballot as a protest. Trump isn’t stupid and he doesn’t believe 90% of what he says, but he is 100% pandering to the most ignorant biggoted voters on the right who hate immigrants and foreigners.
Just a few weeks back, Trump was all buddy buddy with the Syrian Al-Qaeda big whig who is now the leader of Syria.
That, the Saudis & Emiratis are why Trump left Syria off the blacklist.
@SFO
Let’s see egg prices are down nearly 60%. Fuel prices are down as well and so is inflation.
Are these the so-called ‘s-hole’ countries?
@Drrichard is correct. The show goes on!
@Coffee Please — Wait for the tariffs to hit us; not only will prices increase, but also supply shortages. Also, stagflation is a ‘regime-killer’ …it’s not ‘if’ but ‘when,’ thanks to this buffoon. I know, I know, ‘TDS…’ (gravity still exists, though.)
Of course politics plays a role. Everything a president does is by definition politics. But if you can reduce terrorist risk, reduce overstays, reduce number of people that come here who hate us and are here only to undermine western civilization, and with very little economic impact, then why not do it? What is your proposal then, just do nothing? Of course you can count on the leftist orange man bad comments with no substance, they certainly never disappoint.
@Mantis — Oh, now you wanna ‘get to work’ on this? Ok, how about the bi-partisan immigration bill (2024) that would actually fund ‘the border,’ provide reasonable pathways to citizenship, and also better organize the movement of people to and from our country. Let’s actually get something like that done. One ‘side’ has wanted that for a while; the other ‘team’ just runs on it. Demagogues gonna demagogue (rarely do they actually ‘fix’ anything).
But, these arbitrary ‘bans’ on entire groups or countries is somewhat silly, especially if he’s including ‘Laos’ and ‘Bhutan’ randomly… like, those places aren’t anything like Yemen.
Also, you forgot to use ‘TDS’… a missed opportunity!
“The list of countries makes no sense at all, but that appears to be the trend right now.”
Why does it make no sense? The visa overstay rate is part of the law and that’s the basis of the ban.
I travel to some of the biggest s-holes in the world. If I don’t have a visa or don’t pass questioning in immigration, I don’t get in. In Ethiopia, not a s-hole, a change of plans put me 12 hours past the expiration of my visa. I had to pay an additional fee when departing.
Why can these countries enforce their immigration policies and somehow when we do it’s wrong, racists, pick what you want. Grow up people. Nations have borders. Respect them and all is good.
@Coffee Please thank god egg prices are down. America is now safe and prosperous. It only took igniting a global trade war.
Since egg prices are down we can overlook the unfulfilled promises of ending the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the war in Ukraine. We can overlook the threats overtake sovereign nation.
At least you have an affordable Egg McMuffin to comfort you in these uncertain times.
The White House says these nineteen governments fail information-sharing and identity-management tests and visa-overstay rates from these countries are unacceptable
there is your criteria right there. It either is true or it is not.
and US airlines cannot even overfly some or all of those countries due to lawlessness on the ground.
@Parker
Hamas invaded and killed over 1000 Israeli’s under Joe’s auto pen admin
Putin invaded Ukraine under Joe’s auto pen admin.
Give it time. Remember, it was the auto pen in command when all of this went down. Now I’m off to McDonald’s for that McMuffin.
@Coffee Please — Free the hostages!
Actually, Hamas invaded and killed over 1000 Israeli’s under Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime. Why did his security forces fail? Maybe there should be a thorough investigation. Because, it sure seems like someone internally messed up. Hmm.
I have been to two of those countries. Burma is no more. The country was renamed Myanmar (in English) by the government decades ago (1989). Along with Myanmar, I have also been to Laos. In fact, I have been to Laos multiple times with the longest stay being a week. My guess is that Laos is on the list because of some sort of issue with proper paperwork that the USA government requires although it may be related to taking back Laos nationals being kicked out of the USA.
It’s more like an overstay list
Gary: I simply wonder how this would affect frequent flyer programs or hotel redemptions in some inspirational properties? I did see Uzbekistan on the list. Last week there was an excellent AA/QR J fare JFK-TAS and I would go there but not in Nov or Dec. There is a Cat 3 Hyatt Regency in Tashkent and the reviews are fine. Do you think Uzbekistan will respond by prohibiting US citizens to enter? I do not have plans for any other countries on the list.
@jns — I, too, have been to both Myanmar and Laos. Lovely countries and peoples; difficult past (and present, in some cases, between military juntas, earthquakes, and unexploded ordnance.) Excluding the people (including refugees) from these places helps nothing. For Laos, this will push them even further into China’s arms; for Myanmar, by defunding USAID, we missed a key opportunity to help the people after that recent earthquake, thus prolonging unnecessary suffering and likely aiding the junta there in its continued strangling of their people. Withdrawing and excluding is not ‘strength.’ American First is America Last.
First and foremost, I’m not in favor of travel bans. You’re an adult. If you are too stupid or lazy to understand and appreciate the risks of traveling to certain parts of the world that’s on you. The government shouldn’t be your mommy telling you where and where you can’t go.
That being said, these countries have horrible human rights. The liberals in this country and Europe can’t stop talking about LGBT/RD2/Free Spirit (whatever) yet in these countries try walking around with your pride or trans flag. See what kind of reception the locals will give you.
As usual the TDS comes out.
@George Romey — An imposter! Wait till the real @George N Romey finds out about you!
In all seriousness, you have one, single decent ‘take’ here, sir, that ‘travel bans’ shouldn’t exist. However, this isn’t about us (US citizens) visiting these places; it’s about their people coming here. Still, I think all of it is silly. It should be case-by-case, not group punishment.
But, then you ruin that ‘decent’ take, by attacking your perceived enemies (liberals, LGBTQ+, etc.) C’mon man. You can make your points without having to disparage others.
I should at least thank you for perpetuating the silly ‘TDS’ thing, as I’ve said to others above. It’s soooo clever… definitely not tired or overplayed…. *slow clap*
The country on the list that saddens me is Haiti. Yes, everything is a mess there. Yes, there needs to be significant change to make their government effective. But the Lazarus poem at Ellis Island is there for precisely the sort of people who are coming from Haiti and apparently that is precisely why the ban was instituted (even if no one enters through the tourist spot anymore).
@Mantis — Speaking of ‘picking the best people,’ I just read that #47 appointed a 22-year old former grocery store assistant, Fugate, to lead U.S. Terror Prevention. You guys cannot be serious. You pretend to ‘care’ about national security, then elect a clown and wonder why we’re a circus.
@David — Oh, me, too, brother. I love going to so-called s-hole countries. Nice people, tasty food, better beaches, interesting culture, and often quite affordable (comparatively). So, why must you (and others here) vilify them. You, if you have been, should know better. And, yes, some do have very strict border controls. If you want something better here, let’s do bipartisan immigration reform… oh, wait, crickets again? Sheesh… it’s really as if y’all don’t want to solve anything, just whine. Bah!
@Coffee Please blaming Joe Biden for Hamas or Russia is an uninformed position that continues to advance the fallacy that the US has more influence over other countries than it really does. Hamas and Russia were problems across GOP and Democratic administrations for as long as I’ve been alive.
MEANWHILE here in South Florida a man who owns a shooting range and is here on a green card was arrested for beating the snot out of his American girlfriend with witnesses present. Interestingly he’s walking around on bail and allowed to continue having access to his guns. Wanna guess his country of origin?
Blanket travel bans are nothing more than political chest thumping. It’s using a chainsaw when we have the data to use a scalpel.
But, hey, at least you got that tasty Egg McMuffin at a better price.
The whims of a mad King.
…and 46 appointed Sam Brinton to a high level nuclear position within the administration. Nothing to do with the issue in this article, right? RIGHT! If these now banned countries do not have the proper vetting of citizens using that country’s passport, sharing proper vetting information with ANY other country, then the United States shouldn’t let those passport holders entry into the United States. If a preponderance of their citizens overstay their visas, participate in anti-American values and/or violate our laws, deport them and cutoff their return to the United States. There’s nothing wrong with enforcing the laws of this country or stopping the problem before it gets to the United States. There are few exceptions and they should be considered EXCEPTIONS before entry into the United States and not after entry. POOF…the exceptions would “disappear” into the masses…just like 46 allowed.
The deranged Trumpelinas and MAGA Morons seem to believe that anyone who doesn’t support Mango Mussolini is a traitor or traitor-to-be. Well, I believe that anyone who didn’t support Joe Biden or claim that Barack Obama wasn’t an American was also a traitor. Traitors deserve the death sentence, in order of treason committed. So step up, MAGA Morons, you’re first. I’ll be glad to be in the firing squad.
@Win Whitmire — Ah, wrong yet again. And, I’ll gladly hop on your ‘gish gallop,’ sir. Yeehaw!
Yes, nuclear energy hiring policy is not specifically relevant to immigration policy; nice whataboutism!
Check above, though, as your pal @Mantis correctly suggested that immigration policy and terrorism may be relevant, and it is. So, picking an inexperienced lackey, like Fugate, is a bad idea if you actually care about national security and aren’t just demagoguing.
The point remains that #46 could’ve done more (and tried, just too late). Likewise, #47 isn’t helping by doing ‘blanket bans’ of all people from 19 countries. We need reforms and likely a more surgical approach; what #47 is doing now is just it’s too broad, more harmful than helpful.
Oh, and you forgot to claim ‘TDS’… it’s an automatic ‘win’ if you ‘diagnose’ your fellow commenters! Our Kryptonite! Ahh!
I welcome all people from other countries into my home. We have hosted countless people entering our country and let them take what they want from our house. As rich white peoples we have stolen from the poor black and brown people of the world. That the mad orange king is doing is shameful. I hope to read about the others on this site who let strangers live in their home
@JOJO — Nice strawman. ‘Either we let ’em all in, or we let none in..’ (And they’ll take our precious stuff! Oh no!) As George Carlin once said, your ‘stuff’ is…
Seems rather incredible – and extremely foolish – that we just had a domestic terrorist attack from a person from Egypt who overstayed his tourist visa, yet Egypt is not on this list.
@Mak — Al-Sisi may have ‘a plane’ for #47, so… you know (corruption). For the price of a ‘747’ you can be spared!