There’s a saying that the third time’s the charm. That seems to be the hope of the Executive branch right now. After major court challenges and enforcement issues with two previous immigrantion and travel bans, the White House released a third travel ban just when certain provisions were about to expire. This new travel ban, announced on Sept. 24, 2017, will take effect on Oct. 18, 2017.
Although the two previous bans faced court battles, there were hundreds of people, including those working for companies in the United States on work visas, who were negatively impacted by attempts at enforcement of these bans. This new ban is likely to have an impact on hundreds, if not thousands, of tourists, travelers and workers who hope to come to the United States in the future.
What countries are subject to this newest travel ban?
The countries included in this most recent executive order differ slightly from those included in the first two. Citizens and nationals of seven countries face an indefinite ban on travel to the United States. Those seven countries are:
- North Korea
- Chad
- Venezuela
- Somalia
- Yemen
- Iran
- Syria
- Libya
Additionally, the executive order creates restrictions and special screening processes for people traveling from Venezuela and Iraq. If you, your spouse or other members of your family are from, or are living in, any of these countries, officials could deny your entry into the Unites States.
Old bans are still getting challenged across the country
In response to the new executive order, the Supreme Court of the United States announced that they had canceled scheduled hearings over the previous travel ban. These arguments, slated to begin October 10, hoped to challenge the legality of the ban. Lawyers from the Trump administration had intended to defend the ban, while immigrantion rights groups were pressing to have it deemed unconstitutional.
Several states had already attempted to address this issue. District courts in both Maryland and Hawaii had ruled that the ban was unconstitutional. Appeals courts in California and Virginia had decided the same. For those opposing these kinds of executive order travel bans, this new order will basically force them to start the fight all over again.
How this ban is different than previous ones
Unlike the previous two travel bans, this one doesn’t ban refugees who are seeking sanctuary. The list of countries also no longer includes Sudan. North Korea, Chad and Venezuela were not included in previous bans, but were included in this one.
Entry to the country could be denied for those traveling to the United States from any of these countries, even with a work visa. Although this ban may face legal challenges in the future, it will likely get enforced until immigrantion rights activists and lawyers challenge the ban in court.