Imitating one of his most criticized policies from his first government, Donald Trump announced the restriction or prohibition of entry to the United States for citizens of 19 countries, including Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela.
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These measures are, according to the White House, the result of a report conducted by the State and Homeland Security departments on the “hostile attitudes” towards the United States, a document that Trump ordered to be prepared at the beginning of his term last January.
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It is also mentioned as a reason that these countries have a high number of people who stay illegally in the United States.
What is Trump’s reason for restricting entry to the United States?
In a video on his Truth Social network Truth Social and replicated by the White House, Trump contextualized the attack in Boulder, by an Egyptian citizen against a group of people holding an event for the Israeli hostages still in the hands of Hamas in Gaza.
“The recent terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, has highlighted the serious dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreigners without proper verification, as well as those who come as temporary visitors and stay longer than allowed by their visas,” Trump said in the video.
The executive order restricts and limits the entry of citizens from the following twelve countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition, there will be stricter restrictions for visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Trump’s decision against these countries, many of them with a Muslim majority, came on the same day that the U.S. president escalated his personal battle to try to bring Harvard to heel by signing a presidential proclamation seeking the suspension of entry for foreign citizens intending to study or participate in exchange programs at the prestigious Ivy League university.
This measure directly affects those who intend to enter US territory under the nonimmigrant visas F, M, or J, which are commonly used by students, academics, and participants in cultural exchange programs. According to the document, no new international student affiliated with Harvard will be able to enter the country under these types of visas.
What will happen with the World Cup?
Iran, one of the countries whose citizens were banned from entering the United States, is one of the Asian countries that have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, which will be mostly held in the United States, with some matches also taking place in Mexico and Canada.
Venezuela also has good chances of qualifying for its first World Cup in history in the South American qualifiers.