WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – President Donald Trump is rolling out a new travel ban effective Monday. Citizens from 12 countries will be barred from entering the U.S.
President Trump says the ban is a matter of national security.
The ban targets countries like Sudan and Somalia where the president says too often travelers overstay their visas.
Immigration advocates are slamming the move.
“It can’t come soon enough, frankly,” said Trump.
The new ban includes Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Afghanistan, several are war-torn countries.
There is a carve out for Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S. government during the war on terror.
The president says the ban is needed to protect Americans from terror attacks.
CAIR, the largest Muslim advocacy group in the U.S., calls the expanded ban unnecessary and illogical.
“If you look at most of these countries, we have not had terrorist attacks or other extreme violent incidents committed by citizens of those countries,” said CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell.
He says this version is less harsh than the travel ban in the president’s first term.
“There’s a risk of dividing families, endangering medical patients who need treatment here in America,” said Mitchell.
Democrats are vowing to fight back.
“It’s just deplorable, I think it’s unconstitutional and I’m sure there will be lawsuits filed as quickly as they can,” said Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas.).
Cuba and Venezuela are among a small batch of countries facing new travel restrictions.
The White House says countries can be moved on or off the ban list upon review.