'Making America safe': Trump administration announces new travel restrictions

The Trump administration has announced additional travel restrictions on certain foreigners from North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Chad, Iran, Libya, Venezuela and Yemen. The restrictions include a phased-in approach and vary by country.

Anyone with "bona fide" exception can reportedly apply for visas until October 18. The new restrictions on travel will start after the aforementioned date.

Several non-Muslim majority nations were notably included in the list, including North Korea and Venezuela. Travel will be broadly suspended in many instances while travellers will have to undergo enhanced screening and vetting requirements in other cases. No current validly issued visas, green cards or travel documents will be revoked.

US President Donald Trump commented about the new restriction following his administration’s announcement of the details Sunday night. The US leader maintained that making America safe is his top priority. “We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet," he tweeted.

In a White House statement, Trump said he was fulfilling his “sacred obligation” to ensure the safety and security of the American people by issuing the new travel order. He argued the nation could not afford to continue the “failed policies of the past.”

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson agreed, saying the president is carrying out his duty to protect the American people with the new list. He assured that the state department will work alongside other federal agencies to implement these measures in an orderly manner. "We will continue to work closely with our allies and partners who share our commitment to national and global security,” he added, according to CNN.

Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke also praised the White House’s proclamation, saying it will allow DHS to better keep terrorists and criminals from entering the US. Duke described the new restrictions as “tough and tailored.”

The White House said the new restrictions serve as a "critical step toward establishing an immigration system that protects Americans' safety and security in an era of dangerous terrorism and transnational crime.” The Trump administration utilised an executive order to ban foreign nationals from six Muslim-majority countries, Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, and Sudan, from entering the US unless they have a "bona fide" relationship with a person or entity in the country.

The revised travel ban that affects those from six-Muslim majority nations officially expired earlier Sunday. The POTUS signed the initial travel ban during his first week in office.

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