Trump’s new travel ban takes effect

US President Donald Trump’s new ban on travel to the US by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries takes effect.

Trump had tied the move to the firebomb attack on a Colorado rally for the hostages held in Gaza despite the attacker, an Egyptian, not coming from a listed nation.

The new proclamation, which Trump signed on Wednesday, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also imposes heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the US and don’t hold a valid visa.

The new ban does not revoke visas previously issued to people from countries on the list, according to guidance issued Friday to all US diplomatic missions. However, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting today. Travelers with previously issued visas should still be able to enter the US even after the ban takes effect.