Travel ban: Trump slaps new travel restrictions on citizens from 8 countries - TomoNews

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA — The Trump administration has unveiled an updated travel ban that blocks certain foreign nationals from entering the country. According to the proclamation released by the White House, beginning October 18, new U.S. travel restrictions will be implemented for visitors from eight countries — an expansion of the controversial travel ban that took effect in January. The original ban included Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, and Libya. Iraq and Sudan have been removed, while North Korea, Chad, and Venezuela were added to the list. The new rules vary per country, but will not affect legal permanent residents, nor those who already hold a valid U.S. visa. Restrictions on Venezuela focus on government officials and their families. Despite not being included in the ban, Iraqi citizens will reportedly face enhanced scrutiny when visiting the country, reports Reuters. In justifying the ban, officials claim other governments had met U.S. requests for biometric passports or information on terrorists and criminals, but that the eight banned countries failed to do the same. Trump’s initial travel ban has been widely criticized for religious discrimination, but despite the addition of non-Muslim nations into the new ban, critics believe it is still, essentially, a Muslim ban.