Six more countries added to travel ban that restricts immigration to US

Six more countries have been added to a travel ban that seeks to restrict immigration, which has upset many New Yorkers.
“It’s been a very traumatic time for Nigerians and for me personally,” said Henry Ukazu, a Bronx resident from Nigeria, which is among the six countries added to the ban.
As President Donald Trump suspends immigrant visas for Nigerians, Ukazu, who became a U.S. citizen in 2016, told News 12 that “Most of us who are here, we are highly productive.”
Similar immigration restrictions will also be imposed on Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar, with exceptions for immigrants who are believed to benefit the U.S.
The executive director of the New York Chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, Afaf Nasher, noted that Myanmar is experiencing Muslim genocide.
“Muslims are fleeing from rape, from being burnt alive and the U.S. is now closing their door,” Nasher said.
This expanded policy comes three years after President Trump signed the first ban, which critics believe was an attempt to ban Muslims from coming to the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security released a statement justifying the new and expanded ban, “It is logical and essential to thoroughly screen and vet everyone seeking to travel or immigrate to the United States. However, there are some countries from whom the U.S. does not receive the necessary information about its travelers and as a result, pose a national security or public safety risk that warrants tailored travel restrictions.”
Nasher, on the other hand, condemns the ban as racist and Islamophobic.
“There is nothing much more secure than the vetting process that the U.S. already applies to these countries,” Nasher said, adding that he believes it is “farce” to call the actions security-based.
Two of six countries, Sudan and Tanzania, will be blocked from the Diversity Visa Lottery, which is a less severe sanction.
The proclamation will take effect on Feb.22. Homeland Security stated that most countries are willing to address alleged deficiencies.