Washington: A travel ban introduced by Donald Trump has come into effect, barring citizens from 12 specific countries from entering the United States. The ban, which went into effect at 00 ET (0500 BST) on Monday, includes nations such as Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
According to BBC, the order, signed by Trump last week, also imposes partial travel restrictions on nationals from seven additional countries, namely Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Despite the sweeping nature of the ban, exceptions exist for several categories of individuals. These include lawful permanent US residents and their immediate family members holding immigrant visas, US government employees with Special Immigrant Visas, and Afghan nationals with similar status. Other exceptions cover dual nationals not traveling on a passport from a banned country, foreign nationals holding specific non-immigrant visas, and athletes along with their teams and families traveling for major sporting events.
In a video shared on his Truth Social platform, Trump linked the ban to a recent attack in Boulder, Colorado. The attack, which injured 12 people, was described by the FBI as a suspected terror incident involving an Egyptian national. Despite this, Egypt was not included in the list of countries affected by the ban.
Trump's order has sparked reactions both domestically and internationally, with expectations of legal challenges. Chad has already retaliated by suspending all visas for US citizens, while Somalia expressed a willingness to collaborate with the US on security matters. The African Union has urged the US to engage in dialogue with the affected countries.
Within the US, the ban has been met with criticism from Democrats. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal voiced her opposition on social media, suggesting that the move would further isolate the US internationally. In contrast, some, like Congressman Clay Higgins of Louisiana, have expressed support for the ban, emphasizing that travel to the US should be seen as a privilege rather than a right.