Advocacy groups responded almost immediately condemning the new restrictions.
Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, wrote in a statement that she had long worried that the president would expand the restrictions.
“In addition to banning even more Muslim countries, this administration has gone further, banning immigrants from even more nations. We call on members of Congress to act now to support the current, comprehensive version of the No Ban Act and move to reign in the president’s bigoted immigration agenda immediately. Enough is enough,” she wrote.
What Countries and Visas Are Impacted
Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Eritrea and Nigeria would have all immigrant visas suspended; those are applicants seeking to live in the U.S. permanently. They include visas for people sponsored by family members or employers as well as the diversity visa program that made up to 55,000 visas available in the most recent lottery. In December, for example, 40,666 immigrant visas were granted worldwide.
Sudan and Tanzania will have diversity visas suspended. The State Department uses a computer drawing to select people from around the world for up to 55,000 diversity visas. Nigeria is already excluded from the lottery along with other countries that had more than 50,000 natives immigrate to the U.S. in the previous five years.
Nonimmigrant visas were not affected — awarded to those traveling to the U.S. for a temporary stay. They include visas for tourists, those doing business or people seeking medical treatment. During December, for example, about 650,760 nonimmigrant visas were granted worldwide.
Immigration Advocates Decry 'Anti-Muslim Policy'
The new restrictions were swiftly met with criticism from immigrant advocates who slammed them as a new Muslim ban.
Sudan and Kyrgyzstan are majority-Muslim countries. Nigeria, the seventh-most populous nation in the world with more than 200 million people, is about evenly split between Christians and Muslims but has the world’s fifth-largest population of Muslims, according to the Pew Research Center.
Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants’ Rights Project, said the previous visa restrictions should not be expanded.
“President Trump is doubling down on his signature anti-Muslim policy — and using the ban as a way to put even more of his prejudices into practice by excluding more communities of color,” Jadwat said. "Families, universities and businesses in the United States are paying an ever-higher price for President Trump’s ignorance and racism.”
Administration Says Restrictions Based on Security Concerns
Rumors swirled for weeks about a potential new ban, and initially Belarus was considered. But Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was headed to the Eastern European nation as the restrictions were announced, and Belarus was not on the list.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said Homeland Security officials would work with the countries on bolstering their security requirements to help them work to get off the list. Wolf said some nations were able to comply with the new standards in time.
“These countries for the most part want to be helpful, they want to do the right thing, they have relationships with the U.S., but for a variety of different reasons failed to meet those minimum requirements,” Wolf said.