A new travel restriction by President Donald Trump might disallow individuals from Afghanistan and Pakistan from getting in the U.S.
as quickly as next week based upon a government evaluation of nations’ & rsquo; security and vetting threats, Reuters reported on Thursday.Other nations could also be on the list but did not know which ones, according to the report which mentioned 3 unidentified sources.The relocation harkens back to the Republican president’& rsquo; s very first term restriction on travelers from 7 majority-Muslim nations, a policy that went through numerous models before it was supported by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Former President Joe Biden, a Democrat who was successful Trump, rescinded the ban in 2021, calling it “& ldquo; a stain on our national conscience.”& rdquo; The brand-new restriction could affect tens of thousands of Afghans who have actually been cleared for resettlement in the U.S.
as refugees or on Special Immigrant Visas and who worked for the U.S.
throughout a 20-year war in their home country.Trump released an executive order on January 20 requiring heightened security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S.
to discover nationwide security threats.That order directed numerous cabinet members to send by March 12 a list of nations from which travel need to be partially or completely suspended because their “& ldquo; vetting and screening info is so deficient.”& rdquo; Afghanistan will be included in the suggested list of countries for a total travel ban, Reuters reported.Pakistan likewise would be advised for inclusion.One source mentioned that Afghans cleared for resettlement in the U.S.
as refugees or on the unique visas initially go through intense screening that makes them “& ldquo; more extremely vetted than any population” & rdquo; in the world.The State Department office that oversees their resettlement is looking for an exemption for Special Immigrant Visa holders from the travel restriction “& ldquo; however it & rsquo; s not presumed likely to be given,” & rdquo; the source said.That workplace, the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, has been informed to establish a plan by April for its closure, Reuters reported last month.Trump’& rsquo; s regulation belongs to a migration crackdown that he launched at the start of his second term.He previewed his strategy in an October 2023 speech, promising to restrict individuals from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “& ldquo; anywhere else that threatens our security.”& rdquo; Shawn VanDiver, the head of #AfghanEvac, a coalition of groups that coordinates evacuation and resettlement of Afghans with the U.S.
federal government, advised those holding legitimate U.S.
visas to travel as quickly as possible if they can.“& ldquo; While no main announcement has been made, several sources within the U.S.
government recommend a new travel limitation might be implemented within the next week,” & rdquo; he stated in a statement.This & ldquo; might significantly affect Afghan visa holders who have actually been waiting for moving” & rdquo; to the U.S., he said.There are some 200,000 Afghans who have been authorized for U.S.
resettlement or have pending U.S.
refugee and Special Immigrant Visa applications.
They have been stranded in Afghanistan and almost 90 other countries –-- including about 20,000 in Pakistan –-- given that January 20, when Trump purchased a 90-day freeze on refugee admissions and foreign help that funds their flights.The post New Trump travel restriction could disallow Afghans, Pakistanis soon –-- Reuters initially appeared on Ariana News.