The Trump administration is contemplating implementing extensive travel restrictions for citizens from numerous countries as part of a new ban, as reported by sources familiar with the topic and an internal memo reviewed by Reuters.
The memo identifies a total of 41 countries categorized into three distinct groups. The initial group consists of 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea, which will face a complete visa suspension.
The second group includes five nations – Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan – that will experience partial visa suspensions affecting tourist and student visas, along with other immigrant visas, though some exceptions may apply.
The third group comprises 26 countries, including Belarus, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, which will be subject to a partial suspension of US visa issuance unless their governments “take steps to address deficiencies within 60 days,” according to the memo.
The New York Times was the first to report on this list of countries.
This initiative recalls the travel ban on individuals from seven majority-Muslim countries during President Donald Trump’s first term, a policy that underwent several changes before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
On January 20, Mr. Trump issued an executive order mandating increased security vetting for foreigners seeking to enter the US to identify national security threats.
This order instructed several cabinet members to deliver a list of countries by March 21 from which travel should be partially or fully restricted due to “deficient vetting and screening information.”
Mr. Trump’s directive is part of an immigration enforcement strategy he commenced at the beginning of his second term.
He highlighted his intentions in a speech in October 2023, promising to limit entry from individuals from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and other locations posing security threats.
The State Department has not immediately responded to a request for comment from Reuters.
Trump set to initiate another round of layoffs
Protesters gather to oppose President Donald Trump’s mass government firings.
In the meantime, the Trump administration showed no indication of veering from its plan for a second wave of extensive firings and budget cuts across the US government, following two federal court rulings that mandated the reinstatement of thousands of employees.
Despite this, Vice President JD Vance admitted yesterday that errors occurred during the downsizing process, which has progressed rapidly since Mr. Trump took office in January.
Federal agencies faced a Thursday deadline to present comprehensive reorganisation strategies as part of Mr. Trump’s initiative to radically reshape the federal bureaucracy, a task largely delegated to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
To date, the DOGE initiative has proposed potential cuts exceeding 100,000 jobs within the 2.3 million-member federal civilian workforce, halted foreign aid, and canceled thousands of programs and contracts.
At times, DOGE’s approach has been so haphazard that significant federal employees, including those overseeing the nation’s nuclear arsenal and scientists combating bird flu, were fired and then recalled.
Simultaneously, financial markets have reacted negatively to the economic threats posed by a global trade war initiated by Mr. Trump.
Stock markets have plummeted over the past two weeks, erasing $5 trillion (€4.5 trillion) in value amid fears that Mr. Trump’s policies could trigger a recession, although Wall Street stocks rebounded yesterday.
Mr. Vance acknowledged that Mr. Musk’s DOGE has made mistakes and defended most federal employees as diligent workers.
Federal agencies had a Thursday deadline to submit their reorganisation plans.
“Elon himself has noted that sometimes mistakes are made, but we must promptly rectify them,” Mr. Vance stated in an interview with NBC News.
“I am also very aware that many dedicated individuals are employed in the government, contributing positively,” Mr. Vance added.
“Our goal is to retain as much of what functions well in government as possible while eliminating ineffective practices,” he stated.
Rulings in federal courts in California and Maryland on Thursday ordered certain agencies to reinstate thousands of probationary employees who were terminated in recent weeks.
The White House, labeling the judges as partisan activists, committed to challenging these decisions. The California ruling has already been appealed, and the administration has requested a delay in the judge’s ruling until the appeal is decided.
“This injunction is blatantly unconstitutional,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declared. “A low-level district court judge cannot issue an injunction to undermine the presidential authority of the United States.”
Together with Mr. Musk, the world’s richest individual, Mr. Trump signed an executive order on February 11 directing all agencies to “swiftly prepare for significant staff reductions,” utilizing the legal term commonly known as RIF to indicate mass layoffs.
Read more: Musk’s DOGE ordered to disclose operational records
A subsequent memo from the US Office of Personnel Management indicated that plans should entail “a considerable reduction” in full-time staff, real estate cuts, a smaller budget, and the elimination of non-mandatory functions.
IRS job cuts
The Internal Revenue Service, consistently a target of Republican criticism, is slated to cut 20% to 25% of its workforce by May 15, according to a source familiar with the agency’s plans. The IRS had approximately 100,000 employees when Mr. Trump assumed office, which could translate to as many as 25,000 positions being eliminated.
The targeted 20% to 25% reduction includes roughly 5,000 IRS employees who accepted buyouts last month and potentially 7,000 probationary staff who were dismissed, though recent court rulings may lead to the reinstatement of some probationary workers, as noted by the source.
The intended job reductions are being described internally as the initial phase of the agency’s efforts to cut career employees, suggesting there may be additional reductions beyond May 15.
JD Vance indicated that Elon Musk’s DOGE has made occasional mistakes.
The Trump administration has not provided a total count of individuals it has dismissed, but internal memos, public statements, and other sources compiled by Reuters indicate that over 100,000 people have been let go or offered buyouts, with the Department of Veterans Affairs alone planning to reduce its workforce by over 80,000 employees.
Legal challenges
Multiple agencies have offered lump-sum payments to employees for voluntary early retirement, possibly aiding in avoiding legal complications related to the RIF process that unions plan to contest in court.
Although court rulings on the layoffs have produced mixed outcomes, the decisions from California and Maryland on Thursday mark the administration’s most significant legal setback to date.
US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that probationary employees, typically those with under two years of service, should be reinstated in the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, Interior, and Treasury.
Following Mr. Alsup’s decision, US District Judge James Bredar in Baltimore ordered the administration to reinstate tens of thousands of federal workers.
Judge Bredar concurred with 20 Democratic-led states that 18 agencies had unlawfully terminated probationary employees en masse in recent weeks, violating regulations governing federal worker layoffs.
