President Donald Trump was set to impose a new travel ban that could prevent citizens from Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the country.
According to three sources familiar with the matter, this new restriction would take effect as soon as next week. The decision, based on an ongoing government review of security and vetting risks, could also extend to other nations, although the sources were unable to specify which.
This move echoed the president's controversial travel ban from his first term, which barred visitors from seven majority-Muslim countries.
That policy went through multiple iterations before being upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018.
The ban had been revoked by former President Joe Biden in 2021, who referred to it as “a stain on our national conscience.”
One source pointed out that the new ban could have severe consequences for tens of thousands of Afghan nationals, who had been approved for resettlement in the US under refugee status or Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs).
These individuals had been at risk of retribution by the Taliban for their service to the U.S. during its 20-year military involvement in Afghanistan.
Trump's January 20 executive order had called for a heightened security vetting process for foreigners seeking US admission, aimed at detecting potential national security threats.
The order had also directed US cabinet members to compile a list of countries for possible travel restrictions by March 12, with the primary criterion being insufficient vetting and screening information.
Afghanistan had already been identified for inclusion in the recommended list for a complete travel ban, the sources confirmed.
Pakistan was also expected to be included. However, requests for comment from the US departments of State, Justice, Homeland Security, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, all involved in the process, went unanswered.
The US State Department office responsible for resettlement efforts, which oversees SIV holders, sought an exemption for these individuals from the travel ban.
However, according to a source, such an exemption was not deemed likely to be granted.
Furthermore, the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts had been instructed to prepare for closure by April, according to reports.
The Taliban, who took control of Kabul following the final withdrawal of U.S. troops in August 2021, were currently engaged in a conflict with an insurgent group affiliated with the Islamic State.
Meanwhile, Pakistan continued to face its own challenges with violent Islamist militants.
The new travel ban formed part of an expanded immigration crackdown that President Trump had launched at the beginning of his second term in office.
