US reviewing visa programs as official says Afghanistan could be included in Trump travel ban

 

US reviewing visa programs as official says Afghanistan could be included in Trump travel ban


The US State Department is “undertaking a full review of all visa programs,” a department spokesperson confirmed amid reports of an impending new travel ban, and a US official familiar with the situation told CNN that Afghanistan could be among the countries included.

The official said the ban could come as soon as next week but noted it was unclear if final decisions on countries and timing had been made.

In an executive order issued January 20, President Donald Trump directed cabinet members, including the secretary of State, to compile a list of countries “for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries.” The executive order calls for this to be done within 60 days.

The spokesperson who confirmed the ongoing review did not provide further details, saying they do “not comment on internal deliberations or communications.”

CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on the potential travel ban and which countries would be included.

Some context: In his first term, Trump barred travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations from coming to the US, a policy that saw court challenges before President Joe Biden repealed it when he took office in 2021.

If Afghanistan is included in the new travel ban, it could impact tens of thousands of Afghans who worked alongside the US during its two decades of war there, as it would block Afghan nationals from coming to the US.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have already been caught in limbo due to other Trump administration executive orders suspending the US refugee admissions program and the suspension of foreign aid funding for flights of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders.

CNN’s Angelica Franganillo Diaz and Kit Maher contributed reporting to this post.

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