Trump’s New Travel Ban May Block Afghans and Pakistanis from Entering US

US President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to impose a new travel ban that could bar people from Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the United States as soon as next week, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The potential ban stems from a government review assessing security and vetting risks of foreign travelers. While Afghanistan and Pakistan are expected to be included, the sources, who requested anonymity, said other countries could also face restrictions, though they did not specify which ones.

The move recalls Trump’s controversial travel ban in his first term, which initially targeted seven majority-Muslim nations and faced multiple legal challenges before being upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018. Former US President Joe Biden repealed the ban in 2021, calling it “a stain on our national conscience.”

The ban could severely impact tens of thousands of Afghans who have been cleared for resettlement in the US as refugees or Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders due to their work with the US government during its 20-year war in Afghanistan. Many of them remain at risk of Taliban retribution.

A January 20 executive order from Trump mandated stricter national security vetting of foreign nationals. It instructed cabinet members to submit a list by March 12 of countries whose travel should be partly or fully suspended due to deficient screening procedures.

According to the sources, Afghanistan is set to be recommended for a full travel ban, with Pakistan also expected to be included.

The US State Department office overseeing Afghan resettlement is pushing for an exemption for SIV holders, arguing they undergo some of the most rigorous screening in the world. However, one source said an exemption “is not assumed likely to be granted.”

Adding to the uncertainty, the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts – the office responsible for processing Afghan refugees – has reportedly been instructed to develop a shutdown plan by April, according to a Reuters report.

The situation comes amid growing instability in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Taliban, who took control of Kabul in August 2021 following the US withdrawal, are battling an Islamic State insurgency, while Pakistan faces escalating threats from violent Islamist militants.

Trump’s latest directive is part of a broader immigration crackdown, a key focus of his second term. In October 2023, he previewed his travel ban plans in a speech, vowing to restrict immigration from Gaza, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and other regions deemed security threats.

Currently, about 200,000 Afghans have been approved for US resettlement or have pending visa or refugee applications. Since Trump’s January 20 order freezing refugee admissions and halting funding for relocation flights, they have been stranded in Afghanistan and nearly 90 other countries, including about 20,000 in Pakistan.