Trump Prohibits Entry of Citizens from 12 Countries into the U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order prohibiting citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States. The Republican announced this decision on the TruthSocial social network.

The citizens from 12 countries (Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen) are subject to a complete entry ban, while citizens from another seven countries face a partial ban.

A partial ban has been placed on citizens from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. They will not be granted visitor or student visas. However, work or family reunification visas for American relatives will remain in effect.

Exceptions are made for legal permanent residents and those holding valid visas in the United States. The list of countries is based on an analysis conducted by the State Department since January.

The rationale behind implementing such measures was an anti-Semitic attack. According to Trump, the reason for these measures was an anti-Semitic assault against Jewish activists in Boulder, Colorado. A 45-year-old Egyptian illegally residing in the U.S. threw a Molotov cocktail into a crowd while shouting “Freedom for Palestine.” Fifteen people were injured, including a Holocaust survivor, as reported by the Associated Press.

“In the 21st century, we have seen and continue to see terrorist attacks carried out by foreigners with expired visas who have come from various dangerous parts of the world,” said the U.S. President. He noted that millions of such individuals reside in the country.

Speaking about terrorist attacks, Trump stated that he would not allow “what happened in Europe to also happen in America.” He threatened that more countries could be added to the prohibited list.