President Donald Trump was ready to enforce a fresh travel ban that would restrict people from Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the United States.
According to three sources close to the situation, this new limitation was expected to be implemented as soon as the upcoming week.
This decision emerged from a continuous government review of security and vetting dangers and might also apply to other nations, though the sources couldn’t specify which ones. This move echoed the president’s contentious travel ban from his first term, which barred visitors from seven majority-Muslim countries.
That policy experienced numerous iterations before being upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018. The ban was revoked by former President Joe Biden in 2021, who called it “a stain on our national conscience.” One informant noted that the new ban might severely affect tens of thousands of Afghan nationals who had been cleared for resettlement in the US under refugee status or Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs).
These individuals faced the threat of revenge from the Taliban for their allegiance to the US during its 20-year military intervention in Afghanistan. On January 20, Trump’s executive order called for an intensified security vetting process for foreigners seeking US admission, aimed at identifying potential national security threats.
The order also directed US cabinet members to create a list of countries for possible travel restrictions by March 12, with the main criterion being inadequate vetting and screening information. Afghanistan was already flagged for inclusion in the recommended list for a full travel ban, according to the sources. Furthermore, Pakistan was anticipated to be included. Still, queries for comments from the US Departments of State, Justice, Homeland Security, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, all part of the procedure, remained unanswered.