Donald Trump announced modifications to his controversial travel restrictions today.

For those of you who would rather not click on something from Donald Trump, here are the basics of the modifications:

  • Restrictions were removed for Sudan
  • Restrictions were kept for Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, and Syria
  • Restrictions were added for Chad, North Korea, and Venezuela

Here’s something interesting though…

So a lot of the controversy of the first travel ban was that it seemed xenophobic and too broad.  In today’s announcement, the White House went into a little more detail about countries who would be added/removed in the future.  What the USA is looking for are things like electronic-embedded passports with traveler data in them (it makes passports harder to forge) as well as how much information those countries share with the USA about passenger criminal histories.

Furthermore, it looks like future scenarios will be evaluated on a country-by-country basis.  Per NBC News, all visas will be restricted from North Korea and Syria, while visas for travelers from Iran will still be permitted for students and exchange visitors.  The US will restrict immigration visas for Somalians but still allow tourist visas, although travelers will be subject to additional scrutiny.

So, if nothing else, it’s at least interesting to start seeing some of the thinking behind these restrictions, even if millions still disagree with them.

 

The White House press statement has more information for those concerned.  The new policy goes into effect October 18th.

 

[author’s note: I always encourage comments from readers, but I absolutely hate politics and am just trying to inform.  Please feel free to talk politics in the comments section if you want but I do ask that you be respectful of opposing viewpoints and keep all language family-friendly]

Get the latest updates daily!

You have Successfully Subscribed!