Trump administration prepares to revive and expand travel bans - The New York Times

The Trump administration is finalizing a new ban on travel to the United States for citizens of certain countries that would be broader than the versions President Trump issued in his first term, The New York Times reported citing two officials familiar with the matter.

A draft recommendation circulating inside the executive branch proposes a “red” list of countries whose citizens President Trump could bar from entering the United States, the officials told The New York Times, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal deliberations.

One of the officials said the proposed red list currently consists mainly of countries whose nationals were restricted under versions of Trump’s previous travel ban. Last time, those countries included Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.

The draft tentatively proposes adding Afghanistan to the group whose citizens would be categorically barred from entering the United States, according to one of the officials.

The recommendations also have an “orange” group of countries whose access would be curtailed but not completely barred. For example, only certain types of visas might be issued — like for relatively affluent people traveling for business, but not immigrants or tourists — and the length of visas could be shortened. Applicants would be required to have in-person interviews.

Countries in a third or “yellow” category would be given 60 days to change some perceived deficiencies or they would be added to one of the two other lists, the officials said.