April 28, 2025 4:18 am
Full News

New Trump Travel Ban Could Bar Afghans and Pakistanis from Entering the US

March 6, 2025: President Donald Trump is expected to impose a new travel ban that could prevent people from Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the United States as early as next week, according to sources familiar with the matter. The decision is based on a government review of countries’ security and vetting risks.

The move is reminiscent of Trump’s first-term ban on travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations, a policy that was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. Former President Joe Biden repealed the ban in 2021, calling it “a stain on our national conscience.”

The new ban could impact tens of thousands of Afghans who have been cleared for resettlement in the US as refugees or on Special Immigrant Visas due to the risk of Taliban retribution for their work with the US during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.

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. The order directed several Cabinet members to submit a list of countries by March 12 from which travel should be partly or fully suspended due to deficient vetting and screening information.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are expected to be included in the recommended list of countries for a complete travel ban. The departments of State, Justice, and Homeland Security, along with the Office of the Director for National Intelligence, are overseeing the initiative but have not responded to requests for comment.

One source noted that Afghans cleared for resettlement in the US undergo intense screening, making them “more highly vetted than any population” in the world. The State Department office overseeing their resettlement is seeking an exemption for Special Immigrant Visa holders from the travel ban, but it is unlikely to be granted.

The Taliban, who seized Kabul in August 2021, are facing an insurgency by Islamic State’s regional branch, while Pakistan is grappling with violent Islamist militants. Trump’s directive is part of an immigration crackdown launched at the start of his second term.

Shawn VanDiver, head of #AfghanEvac, a coalition coordinating the evacuation and resettlement of Afghans with the US government, urged those holding valid US visas to travel as soon as possible. He warned that the new travel restriction could significantly impact Afghan visa holders awaiting relocation to the US.

There are approximately 200,000 Afghans approved for US resettlement or with pending refugee and Special Immigrant Visa applications. They have been stranded in Afghanistan and nearly 90 other countries, including about 20,000 in Pakistan, since Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on refugee admissions and foreign aid funding their flights.

Related News
Trump to Make Major Infrastructure Announcement
Protests Disrupt U.K. Screenings of Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Emergency’
US Sanctions Pakistan Amid Concerns Over Nuclear and Missile Proliferation
Trump Reiterates Interest in Acquiring Greenland
Beyoncé Donates $2.5 Million to Los Angeles Fire Relief
Trump Names Former Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as NATO Ambassador
Related Posts
Trump Demands Free Passage for U.S. Ships Through Panama and Suez Canals
India Suspends All Rail Projects in Bangladesh Amid Political Tensions and Security Concerns
Hussein al-Sheikh Nominated as PLO Successor by Mahmoud Abbas
Thrilling El Clásico: Barcelona Win the Copa del Rey Amid 5 Goals and 3 Red Cards
Pakistan Alarmed Over India’s Threat to Halt Water Supply
Fresh Exchange of Fire Between Indian and Pakistani Troops Along Kashmir Border
More News

Ben Affleck Takes Over Matt Damon’s Role in Netflix Thriller

Ben Affleck is set to take over the lead role in the upcoming Netflix thriller Animals, which he will also direct. The film was initially slated to star Matt Damon, but due to scheduling conflicts with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Damon had to step down. Animals is expected to begin production in Los Angeles this […]

Hollywood Is Nervously Waiting for Election Results

The 2024 election is still not decided, and people in Hollywood are sharing their thoughts on social media about the delay in the results. Celebrities like Katie Couric, Bette Midler, Yvette Nicole Brown, John Cusack, and Krista Vernoff are talking about the close race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. As […]

New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Revives Christopher Lee’s Saruman

The producer of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Philippa Boyens, has announced that they will bring back the late Christopher Lee to voice the wizard Saruman in the new animated film. Christopher Lee passed away in 2015. This movie is set about 200 years before the events of Peter Jackson’s […]

Alternative Steps Taken by Arab Countries

U.S. President Donald Trump wants to remove Palestinians from Gaza and take control of the territory. He has put forward such a proposal. In response, Arab countries are making urgent efforts to present an alternative proposal to shape the future of Palestine. Saudi Arabia is leading this initiative, according to reports from Reuters and Arab […]

Impeached South Korean President Yoon arrested

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been arrested. This information was given in the BBC news on Wednesday Efforts by investigators to arrest Yoon were initially thwarted by members of the Presidential Security Service (PSS). Investigators were later able to arrest him. Earlier this month, investigators raided Yoon’s home for several hours to arrest […]

Pope Francis Dies at 88 Following Stroke and Heart Failure

Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the world’s Catholic community, passed away on Monday, April 21, at the age of 88. He died at his residence in Casa Santa Marta within the Vatican. According to an official Vatican statement, the Pope suffered a cerebral stroke followed by irreversible heart failure. His death certificate, signed by […]

President Trump Praises Pakistan, Expresses Gratitude

U.S. President Donald Trump has praised Pakistan for its assistance in capturing the ISIS terrorist involved in the deadly 2021 Kabul airport bombing. In a speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Tuesday night, Trump expressed his gratitude to the Pakistani government. The 2021 attack killed 13 U.S. service members and over […]

US Issues Travel Advisory for Bangladesh Amid Concerns Over Militancy and Extremism

The United States has reissued its travel advisory for Bangladesh, urging citizens to reconsider travel due to heightened risks of civil unrest, crime, and terrorism. The advisory, updated on April 18, 2025, categorizes Bangladesh under a “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” alert, with a stricter “Level 4: Do Not Travel” warning for the Chittagong Hill Tracts […]

Historical March 7th Speech: The Formation of Bangladesh

Engineer M. Hossain  On March 2, 1971, the flag of Bangladesh was raised by students at Dhaka University, a moment that echoed the courage and determination of the Bengali people in their demand for independence and their assertion of Bengali identity against an oppressive regime. Despite the imposition of a curfew later that evening, the […]

Trump Sends Secretary of State to Secure Panama’s Allegiance

Even before taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to take control of the Panama Canal. Now, he has adopted a different strategy, sending his newly appointed Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to Panama. Latin America’s close ally, Panama, has recently faced tension with the U.S. following Trump’s comments. According to an ABC News […]