The Trump administration has extended its travel ban to Palestinian Authority passport holders amid a crackdown on legal immigration and travel.<\/p>\n
The White House said the ben was needed because \u201cseveral U.S.-designated terrorist groups operate actively in the West Bank or Gaza Strip and have murdered American citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso, the recent war in these areas likely resulted in compromised vetting and screening abilities,\u201d the announcement continued. \u201cIn light of these factors, and considering the weak or nonexistent control exercised over these areas by the PA, individuals attempting to travel on PA-issued or endorsed travel documents cannot currently be properly vetted and approved for entry into the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ban formalizes a practice revealed this fall when the United States declined to issue visas to Palestinian officials, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, to attend the United Nations General Assembly. It includes waivers for certain cases, including athletes traveling to compete in the Olympics or World Cup.<\/p>\n
The expansion of the travel ban was condemned by several liberal-leaning Jewish groups, including J Street, a liberal Zionist advocacy and lobby group.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt a time when the Trump administration claims that it is working to advance the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, its decision to bar Palestinian travel to the US is both deeply damaging and counterproductive,\u201d said Adina Vogel-Ayalon, J Street\u2019s vice president and chief of staff, in a statement. \u201cRather than advancing stability, this policy further delegitimizes and weakens the Palestinian Authority at the very moment when US policy should be focused on strengthening its capacity to sideline Hamas, improve governance, and help stabilize and secure Gaza and the West Bank.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hadar Susskind, the president and CEO of New Jewish Narrative, a progressive Zionist Jewish organization, also criticized the ban.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe urge the administration to reverse these restrictions and to pursue security policies that are targeted, evidence-based, and consistent with human rights,\u201d said Susskind in a statement. \u201cTrue security is built through inclusion, engagement, and justice\u2014not through walls or racist bans.\u201d<\/p>\n
The White House announced the ban<\/a> on travelers with P.A. passports on Tuesday along with similar prohibitions on nationals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria.<\/p>\n The countries join 12 others whose passport-holders were barred from entering the United States starting in June, which included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.<\/p>\n \u201cAMERICA FIRST SECURITY \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8,\u201d wrote the White House in a post on X<\/a>. \u201cPresident Donald J. Trump just signed a new Proclamation, STRENGTHENING our borders & national security with data-driven restrictions on high-risk countries with severe deficiencies in screening & vetting.\u201d<\/p>\n The new additions come as the White House continues to impose severe restrictions on immigration following the shooting of two National Guard members by a suspect who is an Afghan national last month.<\/p>\n