Trump sets new, indefinite travel restrictions

President Donald Trump has issued a new set of restrictions for certain foreign nationals seeking entry into the United States, citing national security concerns.

A Sept. 24 proclamation restricts the admission of nationals from Chad, Yemen, Venezuela, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Iran and Somalia. Restrictions vary per country. Administration officials did not put an end date to the limitations, saying they will be lifted once the countries comply with information the United States needs in order to vet potential entrants.

The restrictions come after administration officials conducted a worldwide review of the information countries provide on their nationals. The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State and National Intelligence director, created a "baseline" determining the minimum information the United States needs from foreign governments to corroborate the identity of people seeking to come in and whether they are security or public safety threats.

The countries in the new travel ban failed to meet the baseline requirements, said senior administration officials. Trump's proclamation said Somalia satisfied information-sharing requirements of the baseline, but other deficiencies and its label as a terrorist safe haven called for travel restrictions. Venezuela met many of the baseline standards, but its government does not cooperate in verifying if its citizens pose national or public safety threats and does not adequately share public safety and terrorism-related information, the proclamation said.

Travel restrictions for nationals of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, as outlined in Trump's March 6 executive order, expired Sept. 24. (The U.S. Supreme Court exempted from the March travel ban nationals who had a credible bona fide relationship with a U.S. person or entity.)

But the new restrictions took effect on Sept. 24 for the countries in that March order, except for those who proved a bona fide relationship.

Restrictions for countries not listed in the March directive (Chad, North Korea and Venezuela) will go into effect Oct. 18. Nationals from the countries in Trump's March directive who have a bona fide relationship will also be subject to the restrictions starting Oct. 18.

Nationals from Sudan are no longer subject to travel restrictions.

And while Iraq did not meet the baseline, its nationals will only be subject to additional vetting but not travel restrictions. Iraq was left off of the list due to its cooperation with the United States to combat terrorism and because of the United States' diplomatic and military presence in the nation.

Here's an overview of the new limitations, per Trump's proclamation:

Chad: suspended entry for immigrants, and nonimmigrants on business (B-1), tourist (B-2), and business/tourist (B-1/B-2) visas;

Iran: suspended entry for immigrants and nonimmigrants, except for nationals under valid student (F and M) and exchange visitor (J) visas, but they'd be subject to enhanced screening and vetting requirements;

Libya: suspended entry for immigrants, and nonimmigrants on business (B-1), tourist (B-2), and business/tourist (B-1/B-2) visa;

North Korea: suspended entry for immigrants and nonimmigrants;

Syria: suspended entry for immigrants and nonimmigrants;

Venezuela: suspended entry for officials of Venezuelan government agencies involved in screening and vetting procedures, including the Ministry of the Popular Power for Interior, Justice and Peace; the Administrative Service of Identification, Migration and Immigration; the Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigation Service Corps; the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service; and the Ministry of the Popular Power for Foreign Relations -- and their immediate family members, as nonimmigrants on business (B-1), tourist (B-2), and business/tourist (B-1/B-2) visas.

Yemen: suspended entry for immigrants, and nonimmigrants on business (B-1), tourist (B-2), and business/tourist (B-1/B-2) visas;

Somalia: suspended entry for immigrants, visa adjudications for nonimmigrants subject to additional scrutiny.

The U.S. Supreme Court canceled Oct. 10 oral arguments for Trump's travel ban and asked lawyers on both sides to file briefs by Oct. 5 on the effect of Trump's new proclamation.

Trump has taken new measures to suspend immigration from some terror-prone places. We continue to rate this promise In the Works.