Trump Signs New Travel Restrictions Against Eight Countries

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation Sunday restricting travel to the United States from eight countries, replacing the previous travel ban that was set to expire.

The new order will take effect on October 18 and will block citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, North Korea, Chad and some persons from Venezuela from entering the U.S.

“Making America Safe is my number one priority. We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet,” Trump posted to Twitter.

Sudan has been removed from the list of restricted nations but the remaining countries face differing measures ranging from a ban on all types of visas for all citizens to targeting specific types of people from traveling to the United States.

Citizens of Syria, Chad, North Korea, Libya, and Somalia will not be issued visas for any purpose. Chad failed to share information for anti-terror information on its citizens while Somalia, Libya, and Syria are hotbeds for terror.

The Trump administration will prohibit Venezuelan government officials in five security agencies and their families from entering the United States. The move comes as the White House said that the Central American nation had been uncooperative in identifying persons who might pose a threat to the U.S. In February, a whistleblower revealed that Venezuelan visas, passports, and birth certificates were being issued to middle-eastern individuals, some with ties to terror groups for large sums of money. In April, it was shown that a Venezuelan Vice President with ties to Hezbollah had led the effort to skirt anti-terrorism screening.

Iranian citizens may travel to the U.S. on student and exchange visitor visas only. No immigration visas will be issued.

Muslim advocates say that the changes are superficial and are pressing ahead with their case against the former ban that is set for the Supreme Court on October 10.

“The administration is once again making cosmetic adjustments to the Muslim ban in hopes that it will pass the barest possible definition of anything else,” Johnathan Smith, legal director of Muslim Advocates, said in a statement. “The vast majority of the executive order is completely unchanged.”

Unlike the prior ban, this proclamation has no end date. Countries can get off the list if they conform to anti-terrorism and identification requirements or by otherwise cooperating with the United States.