The Trump administration is finalizing a new ban on travel to the United States for citizens of certain countries that would be broader than the versions President Trump issued in his first term, according to two officials familiar with the matter.
A draft recommendation circulating inside the executive branch proposes a “red” list of countries whose citizens Mr. Trump could bar from entering the United States, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal deliberations.
One of the officials said the proposed red list currently consists mainly of countries whose nationals were restricted under versions of Mr. Trump’s previous travel ban. Last time, those countries included Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.
The draft tentatively proposes adding Afghanistan to the group whose citizens would be categorically barred from entering the United States, according to one of the officials.
Shawn VanDiver, the head of a nonprofit group that helps resettle Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the war, said he learned from officials that Afghan citizens would be subject to a complete travel ban.
On Wednesday morning, the group put out an emergency statement titled “Afghan Travel Ban coming” that urged Afghans with valid visas who are currently outside the United States to come back immediately. Later on Wednesday, Reuters also reported that Afghanistan would be recommended for a complete travel ban.
The recommendations also have an “orange” group of countries whose access would be curtailed but not completely barred. For example, only certain types of visas might be issued — like for relatively affluent people traveling for business, but not immigrants or tourists — and the length of visas could be shortened. Applicants would be required to have in-person interviews.
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