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In a move that has shocked the world, President Donald Trump has signed a new travel ban stopping citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States.
According to the White House announcement, this ban will begin at 12:01am on Monday, and it will affect Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
This new decision is similar to Trump’s controversial first-term travel ban that sparked protests and legal battles. It also comes after a Molotov cocktail attack on Jewish activists in Boulder, Colorado, allegedly carried out by an Egyptian man who overstayed his visa.
President Trump said in a statement from the Oval Office:
“The recent terror attack in Boulder has shown how dangerous it is to let in foreign nationals who are not properly vetted. We don’t want them.”
Although Egypt itself was not included in the ban, Trump said the new list of countries was chosen to prevent “radical Islamic terrorists” from entering the country.
There are a few exceptions to the ban, such as permanent residents, athletes travelling for sports competitions like the World Cup or Olympics, and people already granted asylum.
Human rights groups have criticised the ban, saying it will cause hardship for families and is based on racial profiling rather than real security concerns.
Trump’s critics, including Congressman Dan Goldman, have accused him of using the ban to distract Americans from domestic problems and to push anti-immigrant policies.
Despite protests from some groups, the travel ban will go into effect as planned on Monday.
