US imposes new ban on 19 countries, Iraq excluded
Shafaq News – Washington
Iraq was not included in the latest US travel restrictions issued by President Donald Trump, targeting citizens from 19 nations he described as "Third World countries."
Iraq’s exclusion marks a significant change from Trump’s first term, when the country was included in a similar travel ban.
According to Reuters, the US Department of Homeland Security listed Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela as subject to full or partial bans.
A separate immigration notice clarified that 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen, face full restrictions, while citizens from seven others, including Cuba, Venezuela, and Turkmenistan, are partially restricted.
The move comes after a fatal shooting targeted a National Guard member near the White House. The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, reportedly entered the US in 2021 through a resettlement program created after the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Local outlets, citing Homeland Security officials, reported that Trump also directed a comprehensive review of asylum approvals and Green Cards issued under former President Joe Biden’s administration, particularly those granted to citizens from the 19 designated countries.
