The Trump administration is stirring controversy once again with a proposed travel ban targeting citizens from 41 countries, including Pakistan. This potential restriction, reported by insiders, emerges as part of an executive order signed by President Trump on January 20, 2025. The order directs enhanced vetting procedures for foreign nationals, with the intent of strengthening security measures.
According to the draft being circulated by the State Department, countries are grouped into three categories: red, orange, and yellow. The distinctions relate to the level of restriction each should anticipate in terms of U.S. entry. The most severely impacted, the red list, comprises 11 nations facing a complete visa suspension. Notably, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen could be fully barred from U.S. entry unless specific exemptions apply to current visa holders.
The orange list presents a slightly less stringent approach, with 10 countries, including Pakistan, potentially facing limitations on tourist and student visas. This group would require in-person interviews for those wishing to apply for non-immigrant visas. Besides Pakistan, countries such as Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan are included in this category.
A less restrictive yellow list includes 22 countries. Nations like Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, and Zimbabwe must address specific vetting deficiencies within 60 days or face more challenging entry requirements. This list suggests a grace period for these countries before harsher measures are considered.
A draft memo obtained by Reuters reveals that the proposal is not yet finalized and requires approval from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This move by the Trump administration revives the divisive travel bans from his initial presidency phase, which primarily targeted Muslim-majority regions and survived Supreme Court review. President Biden repealed these bans in 2021, criticizing them as damaging to the national conscience.
Though the new restrictions focus on perceived security screening shortcomings, they are likely to encounter legal pushbacks and might strain diplomatic relations with affected countries. Unwilling to disclose specifics of the plan, Trump dismissed talks of the draft details, labeling it politically unwise to reveal information too early.
March 18, 2025 AT 20:33
why do we even care what other countrys do if they cant even keep their own house in order 🤷♂️ i mean come on its not like we got time to babysit the whole planet
March 19, 2025 AT 06:30
There’s something deeply human about this - the fear behind the policy, the pain it’ll cause, the families torn apart, the students who won’t get to learn, the doctors who can’t help, the artists who can’t share their voice. This isn’t just a list of countries. It’s a list of dreams deferred. And I don’t care what the ‘security rationale’ is - if it breaks hearts, it’s broken. We can do better. We have to. 🌍💛
March 19, 2025 AT 16:39
Yikes. This feels so heavy. Hope everyone affected knows they’re not forgotten. Sending love across borders 💕
March 19, 2025 AT 18:16
It’s like watching someone build a moat around their castle and then burn the bridge behind them - all because they’re afraid someone might throw a pebble. Pakistan? Really? The same country that’s sent more troops to UN peacekeeping missions than any other? The same one where your cousin’s niece just got a Fulbright? This isn’t vetting - it’s vengeance dressed up as policy. And it’s ugly.
March 21, 2025 AT 07:42
you know what i think the real problem is not the ban its the mindset behind it we keep treating people like threats instead of people and that’s what breaks everything not the borders but the way we look at each other
March 21, 2025 AT 14:58
Actually the 2017 ban was upheld by the Supreme Court on national security grounds, and the current draft follows similar legal precedent. The orange list is consistent with DHS’s 2023 risk assessment matrix. Also, Pakistan’s visa refusal rate was 42% last year - higher than Syria’s. This isn’t discrimination, it’s data-driven risk mitigation. You’re emotionalizing policy.
March 16, 2025 AT 22:16
So let me get this straight - we’re back to banning entire countries based on ‘security shortcomings’? 🤔 Like, if a country has a bad government, that means every single person there is a threat? That’s not security, that’s laziness wrapped in a flag. And don’t even get me started on how this looks to the rest of the world. We’re not the land of the free anymore, we’re the land of the suspicious. 😔