Citizens of 12 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, grappled on Thursday with the news that President Trump had barred them from traveling to the United States, reviving a travel ban from his first term that led to chaos and legal challenges.
When the president’s order takes effect on Monday, citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will not be allowed to enter the United States. It was not immediately clear why those countries were selected.
The ban announced by Mr. Trump on Wednesday was his latest crackdown on immigration. In recent months he has ordered raids across the country to detain immigrants, blocked asylum seekers at the southern border and barred international students from Harvard University, among other steps.
Last year the State Department issued about 170,000 total visas to citizens of the 12 countries subject to the ban. The new order touches more parts of the world and could affect more people than the travel ban announced during Mr. Trump’s first term, in 2017, which targeted seven Muslim-majority countries. Two of those countries, Syria and Iraq, were not named in this order.
Here’s what else to know:
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Partial ban: Mr. Trump also imposed restrictions on travel from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, but stopped short of a full ban. Citizens of those countries cannot come to the United States permanently or get tourist or student visas.
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Colorado attack: Mr. Trump’s order came days after an Egyptian man was arrested and charged with attacking a group in Boulder, Colo., that had been honoring the hostages held in Gaza. Announcing the ban, the president said the attack “underscored the extreme dangers” posed by the entry of some foreigners. The ban does not include Egypt.
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War-torn nations: The action is an effort to stop immigration from nations that Mr. Trump claimed to have a “large-scale presence of terrorists,” among other concerns. Many of the countries subject to the ban have been wracked by conflict, while others are ruled by repressive regimes. In both cases, Mr. Trump’s proclamation closes the door on those hoping to flee to the United States to build new lives.
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Some exceptions: Among those exempted from the travel ban are green card holders, dual citizens, refugees who have already been granted asylum in the United States, and athletes and coaches, and their families, who are traveling for major sports events.
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Legal challenges: The newly announced ban is more likely to withstand legal challenges than the first because the administration has learned lessons from the litigation against that effort, legal experts said.
Enjoli Liston is a Times editor based in London who works on live coverage of major breaking news.
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