Major news organizations, including Reuters and The New York Times, have reported that the Trump administration is in the process of finalizing a new travel ban, which could be put into place as early as next week.
While we will not know specifics of the travel ban until it is published, the list of impacted countries may include Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, and more, based on major media reports and the first Trump administration’s travel ban.
It is strongly recommended that nationals and citizens of these countries — and other countries speculated about based on media reports — avoid traveling internationally and, if currently abroad, should return to the U.S. as soon as possible with valid entry documents. Otherwise, they could be barred from entering the U.S. after the ban takes effect.
Here is what we know based on major media reports:
— Reuters reported the new ban will bar most foreign nationals from Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the United States, and “other countries could also be on the list.”
— The New York Times followed with a report that the new ban would bar foreign nationals from countries that were previously affected under the first administration. Those nations included Iran, North Korea, Syria, Sudan and more.
— The Times report added that the new ban could also have an “orange group of countries whose access would be curtailed but not completely barred,” and a “yellow category,” where countries would have “60 days to change some perceived deficiencies or they would be added to one of the two other lists.”
— The ban would be a result of the executive order issued by Trump during the first day of his second term in the White House entitled “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security Public Safety Threats,” which instructed various agencies to identify “countries throughout the world for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals.”
— At this time, the attorneys at Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm do not anticipate the ban affecting U.S. citizens and most green card holders. The ban could also be challenged in federal court, similar to the litigation faced by the ban put in place by Trump during his first administration.
Again, this information is based on reports from major media outlets, and we will not know the details or specifics, including precisely who is impacted and if there will be any exemptions, until the order is published. The purpose of this alert is to notify individuals who may be impacted, so that they can prepare as proactively as possible by returning to the U.S. as soon as possible and/or avoid international travel.
The attorneys at Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm continue to monitor the situation closely and will alert clients as circumstances evolve, and as more information becomes available.