U.S. expands travel ban, impacting immigrant artists
President Trump’s 2017 Presidential Proclamations limited travel to the U.S. by nationals from seven countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, with restrictions on North Koreans and Venezuelans being added later. Friday, additional restrictions were added on nationals from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. The new restrictions only suspend immigrant travel to the U.S.; they do not have any impact on nationals traveling to the U.S. temporarily for work, study, or tourism.
Why have Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania been added to the list of restricted countries, and how will people be affected? The administration claims that the restrictions are necessary to protect national security. The fact that the new restrictions do nothing to limit temporary travel to the U.S. makes it clear that the real purpose is to limit legal immigration from these countries. The U.S. government continues to view legal immigration as a security threat… or put more bluntly, the U.S. government continues to view legal immigration as an existential threat to white supremacy. The impact of the expanded ban on family reunification and on our nation’s diversity will be devastating. The good news—such as it is—is that the new restrictions on the citizens of Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania do not appear to have any impact on those who are traveling to the U.S. temporarily for work, study, or tourism. So cultural exchange may continue, and in our cultural, educational, and business institutions we can work with the citizens of these and all nations to build diversity and empathy and combat xenophobia and racism.
Breakdown By Country:
There are now thirteen countries impacted by Trump’s travel ban. The rule affects nationals from each country differently, and its impact is limited somewhat by a number of exceptions that apply categorically, and the possibility of a waiver issued on a case-by-case basis. The most important exceptions are that the ban does not apply to individuals who are inside the United States or who have a valid visa on the effective dates of the respective proclamations. A waiver of restrictions has proven possible in certain employment situations, but has proven very difficult to obtain in family or humanitarian situations. The ban, country by country, looks like this:
Eritrea: All immigrant visas suspended*; nonimmigrant student, family, and employment visas are unaffected.
Iran: Most immigrant and nonimmigrant visas suspended*; student visas are unaffected.
Kyrgyzstan: All immigrant visas suspended*; nonimmigrant student, family, and employment visas are unaffected.
Libya: Nonimmigrant visas for tourism and business suspended*; immigrant, student, family, and employment visas are unaffected.
Myanmar (Burma): All immigrant visas suspended*; nonimmigrant student, family, and employment visas are unaffected.
Nigeria: All immigrant visas suspended*; nonimmigrant student, family, and employment visas are unaffected.
North Korea: All immigrant and nonimmigrant visas suspended.*
Somalia: All immigrant visas suspended*; nonimmigrant student, family, and employment visas are unaffected.
Sudan: Sudanese nationals’ eligibility for immigrant status through the diversity lottery is suspended; nonimmigrant student, family, and employment visas are unaffected.
Syria: All immigrant and nonimmigrant visas suspended.*
Tanzania: Tanzanian nationals’ eligibility for immigrant status through the diversity lottery is suspended; nonimmigrant student, family, and employment visas are unaffected.
Venezuela: All immigrant visas suspended visas for certain government officials and their families are suspended*; all other Venezuelan nationals are unaffected.
Yemen: Nonimmigrant visas for tourism and business suspended*; immigrant, student, family, and employment visas are unaffected.
*subject to various exceptions and waiver.