The Trump administration is contemplating issuing sweeping journey restrictions for the residents of dozens of international locations as a part of a brand new ban, in accordance with sources acquainted with the matter and an inside memo seen by Reuters.
The memo lists a complete of 41 international locations divided into three separate teams.
The primary group of 10 international locations, together with Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea amongst others, could be set for a full visa suspension.
Within the second group, 5 international locations — Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan — would face partial suspensions that might impression vacationer and scholar visas in addition to different immigrant visas, with some exceptions.
Within the third group, a complete of 26 international locations that features Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan amongst others could be thought of for a partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments “do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days,” the memo mentioned.
A US official talking on the situation of anonymity cautioned there might be adjustments on the listing and that it was but to be accepted by the administration, together with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The New York Instances first reported on the listing of international locations.
The transfer harkens again to President Donald Trump’s first time period ban on vacationers from seven majority-Muslim nations, a coverage that went by means of a number of iterations earlier than it was upheld by the Supreme Courtroom in 2018.
Trump issued an government order on January 20 requiring intensified safety vetting of any foreigners looking for admission to the US to detect nationwide safety threats.
That order directed a number of cupboard members to submit by March 21 an inventory of international locations from which journey must be partly or totally suspended as a result of their “vetting and screening information is so deficient.”
Trump’s directive is a part of an immigration crackdown that he launched at first of his second time period.
He previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to limit folks from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “anywhere else that threatens our security.”
The State Division didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from Reuters.