The Trump Administration has updated and modified its travel ban order to include North Korea, Venezuela, and Chad and remove Sudan. It cited security protocols and information transparency as its decision to add the three countries and take the African country off the list. The White House forwarded a press release to announce the changes, stating that it was meant to be part of the ongoing initiative to further strengthen the nation’s borders.
New requirements were approved earlier in the year in regards to how information is shared with foreign countries. In particular, information regarding passports, criminal histories of peoples of interest, and miscellaneous but relevant data was requested from allies and foreign governments. Failing to comply or reason with the heightened requirements was a prime consideration when updating the travel ban.
Currently, countries targeted by the travel ban due to a lack of participation and compliance with security and information standards are:
- Chad
- Iran
- Libya
- North Korea
- Somalia
- Syria
- Venezuela
- Yemen
It has been noted that the travel restrictions are not permanent, but rather will exist until further notice. Foreign governments that make real efforts to improve their own national security and vetting processes, and who openly share crucial information with the United States of America, will be able to have the travel ban lifted. The White House press release also pointed to recent polls and the actions of previous Presidents to justify the need for the travel ban and its requirements.
The recent update has actually been viewed by many parties in a positive light. Previous iterations of the travel ban were heavily criticized for seeming to target Muslim-majority countries for what seemed to be solely religious reasons or biasness. With North Korea and Venezuela added to the travel ban list – two countries that are not predominantly Muslim – some of those concerns have been quelled.
To review the press release and learn more about the update to the travel ban, you can click here to view it in its entirety on the official White House government website. If you have concerns about how the legalities of the travel ban could impact your rights as an immigrant, or if you believe your rights have already been infringed upon, call (844) 299-5003 to reach Akula & Associates, P.C. Our Dallas immigration attorneys can be retained to manage and walk you through any sort of immigration law matter. Learn by contacting our firm now.