US President Donald Trump's travel ban on citizens of six mainly Muslim countries, North Korea and Venezuela is now fully operational, the State Department said today.
The announcement comes four days after the US Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can fully enforce the ban even as the separate challenges continue before the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th Circuit and the San Francisco- based 9th Circuit appeals courts.
The restrictions are not intended to be permanent, the State Department said.
The restrictions are conditional and may be lifted as countries work with the US government to ensure the safety of Americans; it said adding that most countries in the world now meet the new requirements, which is an important element of ensuring US security.
Asserting that the national security is its top priority in visa operations, the State Department said its embassies and consulates around the world are fully implementing Presidential Proclamation 9645 to protect the American people.
However, the entry restrictions in the Proclamation do not apply to certain categories of individuals, including those who were inside the US or who had a valid visa on the effective date of the Proclamation, even after their visa expires or they leave the United States, it said.
All countries share responsibility to prevent terrorist attacks, transnational crime, and immigration fraud, it said.
"The Presidential Proclamation directed the Departments of State and Homeland Security to restrict the entry of nationals of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela, and Yemen in order to protect the security and welfare of the United States," the State Department said.
Trump announced his initial travel ban on citizens of certain Muslim-majority nations in late January, bringing havoc and protests to airports around the country.
A federal judge in Seattle soon blocked it, and courts since then have wrestled with the restrictions as the administration has rewritten them.
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