Travel Ban Expands to New Countries

POLITICAL BUSINESS

WASHINGTON The Trump administration plans to add seven countries to a group of nations subject to travel restrictions, including Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, along with others in Africa and Asia.U.S. plans to limit visa access for visitors from Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. While the draft of restrictions hasn’t been finalized, it is likely limitations will be placed on the types of visas individual travelers can receive. Trump mentioned the new limitations today in an interview in Davos but could have restrictions placed on specific types of visas, such as business or visitor visas, administration officials said

Some countries could be banned from participating in the diversity visa lottery program, which awards green cards to people in countries with low levels of immigration to the U.S. President Trump has called for an end to that program, saying it lets undesirable people into the U.S., and he has proposed reorienting the existing visa system toward skilled workers instead.

The officials said the list isn’t final, and on Tuesday the White House was still debating whether to include one or two of the countries.

The Department of Homeland Security didn’t respond to request for comment. The State Department declined to comment.

The administration plans to roll out its expanded travel restrictions on Monday, marking the three-year anniversary of the initial travel ban Mr. Trump signed on his seventh day in office, sparking controversy at the beginning of his term.

The administration has said its policy restricting travel is necessary to prevent potential acts of terrorism, as countries on the list don’t adequately vet their travelers to the U.S. 

The expanded travel restrictions could roll out on January 27 the three-year anniversary of the initial travel ban Donald Trump had signed on his seventh day in office as the US President.