WASHINGTON (TNND) — A new travel ban from the Trump administration is set to take effect Monday, expanding significantly from a similar policy during his first term. The ban blocks travelers from 12 countries, primarily in the Middle East and Africa, including Afghanistan, Iran, and Yemen, from entering the United States. Additionally, seven more countries, including Cuba and Venezuela, will face travel restrictions.
We want to keep bad people out of our country. The Biden administration allowed some horrendous people and we’re getting them out one by one and we’re not stopping,” President Trump told reporters Thursday.
The President linked the ban to the recent Boulder, Colorado terror suspect, an Egyptian national who overstayed a visa. However, Egypt is not included on the ban list.
“Egypt has been a country that we deal with very closely, they have things under control. The countries we have, they don’t have things under control,” Trump said.
The new ban follows a similar policy from Trump’s first term, which targeted seven Muslim-majority countries and was reversed during President Joe Biden’s administration.
Those countries were previously labeled “countries of concern” under the Obama administration, with limited visa restrictions.
Some Democrats have criticized the latest ban, believing it’s headed for the courts.
There’s no rhyme or reason as to how he picked or chose all those countries. It’s just deplorable, I think it’s unconstitutional,” said Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas.
The travel ban could impact major soccer tournaments in the U.S., including the World Cup next year, for which Iran has already qualified. While the executive order exempts athletes, fans from banned countries will not be allowed to attend.