March 16, 2025 - 9:50pm
Donald Trump outraged critics early in his first presidential term by implementing what they called a “Muslim ban”. Really, it was nothing of the sort: the ban restricted travel from seven nations with active insurgencies or revolutionary anti-American governments. All were Muslim-majority countries — Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan — but that was hardly the most notable thing they had in common.
Trump now appears set to expand the policy in his new administration. The New York Times has reported that there are 43 countries which might be subjected to travel restrictions, with 11 up for outright travel bans. These include such distinctly non-Muslim countries as North Korea, Cuba, and Bhutan.
Bigotry wasn’t the principle behind the first-term travel bans, and isn’t the motive for the new restrictions, either. There are obvious national-security concerns about almost all of the countries cited. The new list consists of Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela, as well as second-time designees Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, with only Bhutan standing out as a puzzling inclusion. There are reasonable arguments against barring entry to America from all visitors from these states — for one thing, the bans apply indiscriminately to opponents of the anti-American elements in these countries, as well as to children and others who pose no conceivable threat. But most Americans would need little convincing that 10 of the 11 countries on the new ban list are likely sources of trouble.
The same applies to the 10 countries on the “orange” list for increased restrictions but not outright travel bans: Russia, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Laos, South Sudan, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, and Haiti. A further 22 countries, however, are on a “yellow” list and would get 60 days to resolve the administration’s concerns about them or they, too, would be placed on the orange or red lists. This probationary litany consists of developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Some states included, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, are hotspots of rebellion or insurgency. But the island nations of the Caribbean and Pacific are not.
Along with the questionable security value of complete bans where even some of the red-list states are concerned, the scope of the yellow list suggests the Trump administration has in mind something more than the risk of terrorists getting into the country on travel visas. Two ideological motives are also at play. One is simply a Right-wing tendency to inflate threats, particularly where such inveterate foes as Iran and Cuba are involved. If Iran is a hostile regime, as indeed it is, all Iranians must be threatening — or so the logic goes.
The other ideological motive is something new. Freedom to travel is a pillar of the liberal international order, with nations expected to treat movement as a right to be restricted only for a very good reason. For those in the Trump administration who want to dismantle liberalism as a system, curtailing freedom of travel from any country is a step toward ending the overall presumption in favour of free movement — a presumption that undergirds liberal arguments for immigration, among other things. Whether many immigrants come from the countries earmarked for bans or not, the principle to be established is that restriction is a default.
Hostile countries provide an easy precedent but, to get the point across, these bans can’t be seen as mere exceptions to a norm of free movement. Hence the value of including some apparently innocuous countries on the red and yellow lists. If travel from them can be curbed, why not travel from, say, Europe — or Canada? In practice, the volume of travel between the rest of the developed world and America is too great and too economically important to be subjected to arbitrary restrictions. But the principle is what counts for ideological purposes.
The public might not be quick to rally to the liberal presumption in favour of free movement, given all the abuses it has led to — from immigration crises to the 9/11 attacks, which were perpetrated by men who overstayed their visas and might never have been let into the country in the first place under less liberal presumptions. But officials who want to uproot liberalism as a governing philosophy should take heed: the public may not feel the principled outrage liberals do over limitations on free movement.
Still, if other nations adopt illiberal visa policies toward Americans and an administration like Trump’s is unable to keep the world open to tourists and businessmen, US citizens’ anger over losing their own freedom to travel will be visited on Republicans. Americans may not subscribe to free movement as a principle, but they expect to be able to go wherever they like.
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SubscribeRegardless of which countries Trump is aiming at here and why; being let into another country should basically be regarded as a privilege and not a right. We should think about it in the same way as we think about going to someone else’s home, and frankly I am on board with approaches to immigration which foster that attitude.
Absolutely. I was a guest in the home of a friend yesterday. It was slightly messy. I did not stand up and tell her off loudly. Her dogs were noisy. I laughed along with others about them. I said nothing but positive things, because I am not a jerk.
Any foreign student who participates in any protest should be deported immediately.
No, if Iran is a hostile regime, all Iranians must bare the consequences.
Change the regime.
So it’s collective punishment you’re in favour of now?
I thought that went out of fashion with the fall of a certain regime in the 40’s
Although Israel never get the memo, rather ironically for a religion that suffered more than most as a result of it
Citizens of an enemy country must be regarded as enemies. If a citizen of an enemy country comes here, what is his motivation? It is best to regard them as enemies until proven innocent.
All citizens of an enemy regime are traditionally considered enemies as well. Because individuals may be spies, may be fake renegades, etc.
When students come to the US to study, they should study, get the degree, and leave. If they choose to protest US actions, their student visa should be cancelled and they should be deported. Those who are the guests of the US do not have free speech. We do not want the dregs of the world coming here under false pretenses to protest our policies.
So the Fundament Wrong of Free Movement is being questioned? And?
I think the writer is conflating two different arguments, at least from a British/European perspective.
Freedom of Movement in regards to work visas, residency’s and the like is what most populations want to see reduced, as it harms job prospects, puts pressure on public services, pushes up house prices and reduces wages.
However this seemingly goes further than that and stops tourism as well, which I don’t think most would be in favour of stopping, especially if that meant they were then banned from visiting other countries as a result
This corrective action on migration has been long overdue. And if the halo-polishers of the Left get snippy about it they can thank themselves for another post-national globalist idea that got out of hand because they always neglect to address two key cohorts: those that abuse their largesse and those that have to pay for it.
An immigration/border control system based on the idea that any controls are either racist or xenophobic is useless and spawns disasters like Merkel’s Migrant Mess. And why does the UK even have an immigration department? They don’t seem to care who gets in and it would be cheaper just to put up Please Take One boxes on the beach filled with Your Guide to Migrant Benefits.
Good to see Zimbabwe on a list. Surprised South Africa is not featured though.
Anyone know what Bhutan did to raise Trumps ire? Is it the daily fee, perhaps…?
Musk and Co. felt that the un-necessary ‘h’ was just an affront to the Gods of Efficiency.
The U.S passport takes several steps down the list of international usefulness.
Why Bhutan? It is one of the most peaceful country in the world. Does he want to blackmail Bhutan for some reasons? As far as I know, Bhutan, very quietly, has been mining and accumulating bitcoins for a few years. It is that? Pillaging small countries? That would be in style with the administration, I am afraid.
There will be a specific reason. Maybe it’s just a warning shot over any emerging relations with China or Russia – or possibly some UN / WHO politics. In reality it’s just an alternative to tariffs in order to meet a foreign policy objective.
The $100 daily fee? Very interested to know myself, always thought of Bhutan as Shangri La incarnate.
“the 9/11 attacks, which were perpetrated by men who overstayed their visas and might never have been let into the country in the first place under less liberal presumptions“
Do UnHerd readers still believe the official narrative about 9/11?
That narrative remains 100% correct. Those terrorists should not have been in the US.
The Saudis, you mean? It’ll be interesting to see if Saudi Arabia goes on the list.
But even if they’d had backing from the Saudi government, rather than a man in a cave, do we really think the identified culprits could have pulled off 9/11?
Precise manoeuvring of huge jet aircraft by pilots whose prior experience was limited to light aircraft and simulators?
Collapse of steel-framed buildings (including WTC 7) at free-fall speed, indistinguishable from controlled demolition?
Extraordinary failure of US air defences (conveniently distracted by training exercises)?
Perhaps a bit too erstwhile.
More nonsense from Trump. It’s exhausting, but it’s not ideological. He is transactional, not ideological.
It’s what the majority of the US population wants to see – and voted for – so their representative should be getting on with it.