Trump signs travel ban on citizens from 12 nations

LOS ANGELES — US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to ban travel from certain countries to the United States on Wednesday evening, citing national security risks.

According to a release by the White House, the proclamation will fully ban the entry of nationals from 12 countries, namely Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

These countries were found "to be deficient with regards to screening and vetting and determined to pose a very high risk to the United States," the release read.

Meanwhile, the proclamation will partially restrict the entry of nationals from seven countries, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

The travel ban is scheduled to take effect at 12:01 am next Monday.

"The restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives," the White House said.

Exceptions to the ban include lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories, and individuals whose entry serves US national interests.

During his first term, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven countries, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. Former president Joe Biden reversed the ban in 2021.

"We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States," Trump said.

He cited Sunday's incident in Boulder, Colorado in which a man tossed a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators as an example of why the new restrictions are needed.

An Egyptian national, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, has been charged in the attack. Federal officials said Soliman had overstayed his tourist visa and had an expired work permit, although Egypt is not on the list of countries facing travel limits.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a close ally of President Nicolas Maduro, warned Venezuelans of being in the US on Wednesday evening.

Big risk

"The truth is being in the United States is a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans … They persecute our countrymen, our people for no reason."

Somalia immediately pledged to work with the US to address security issues.

"Somalia values its long-standing relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised," Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the United States, said in a statement.

Also on Wednesday, Trump directed his administration to investigate Joe Biden's actions as president, alleging aides masked his predecessor's "cognitive decline" and casting doubts on the legitimacy of his use of the autopen to sign pardons and other documents.

The order marked a significant escalation in Trump's targeting of political adversaries and could lay the groundwork for arguments by the Republicans that a range of Biden's actions as president were invalid.

Biden responded in a statement Wednesday night: "Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false."

The Justice Department under Democratic and Republican administrations has recognized the use of an autopen to sign legislation and issue pardons for decades. Trump presented no evidence that Biden was unaware of the actions taken in his name, and the president's absolute pardon power is enshrined in the US Constitution.

Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House counsel David Warrington to handle the investigation.

Agencies - Xinhua