Trump administration delays plan to ban people from 43 countries from travelling to the US

The Trump administration’s plan to ban people from 43 countries from travelling to the US is delayed indefinitely.

Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the US to detect national security threats. 

Back in March, the White House put out a memo that showed countries divided into three separate groups – including full visa suspensions and partial suspensions. Many are from the Middle East and Africa, with Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran and North Korea among the 11 who face the most drastic measures.

In the second group, 10 countries would face partial suspensions that would impact tourist and student visas as well as other immigrant visas, with some exceptions.

And in a third group, a total of 22 countries would be considered for a partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments ‘do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days’, the memo said. 

Trump’s ban has now been delayed because the State Department continues to miss deadlines to submit a report detailing recommendations for restrictions. 

They were originally due on March 21 but department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Monday that it’s still being worked on.  

‘I can tell you that we’re working on what the executive order asked for, which is not travel bans of course but the nature of restrictions from other countries if – whether or not they meet the standard of security and vetting that’s required for entry into the United States,’ she said.

A new deadline for the report to reach Trump’s desk does not currently exist but Bruce confirmed it is still in the works. 

‘Again, because there’s not a date, it doesn’t mean that it’s not being worked on. So we are all working to implement what President Trump has ordered,’ she said.