President Donald Trump signed a long-anticipated travel ban June 4, meaning nationals from nearly 20 countries will be partially restricted or completely banned from entering the United States.
Central Ohio is home to a large population of people from two banned countries, Somalia and Haiti. The 60,000 to 70,000 Somalis who live here are believed to represent the second-largest Somali population in the country. Meanwhile, an estimated 30,000 Haitians live in the region.
The ban, which will go into effect June 9, means that travelers from Somalia, Haiti and other listed countries will likely be denied boarding by airlines or turned away upon arrival in the U.S. Nationals from partially restricted countries may face delays or even denial of entry, depending on their visa type and purpose of travel, according to USA TODAY.
According to the White House, the ban was signed in an effort to address U.S. national security and public safety concerns. The administration cited multiple reasons for including certain countries in the ban, which varied from inadequate screening processes to high visa overstay rates to significant terrorist presences.
The ban does include exceptions for “lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests,” according to the White House, though no additional details were provided.
Which countries are affected by the ban?
The complete travel ban applies to 12 countries:
Partial travel restrictions apply to seven countries:
What does the travel ban mean for Ohio State students?
A small fraction of the 6,305 international students enrolled at Ohio State University last fall are from the banned countries, according to university enrollment reports. Six students attended Ohio State from Libya, two from Myanmar and Sudan and one each from Somalia, Haiti and Congo. There were no international students from Afghanistan, Iran, Chad, Yemen, Eritrea or Equatorial Guinea.
Though the international student populations are small, Ohio State enrolls many students with ties to those countries, either by birth, citizenship, family ties or all of the above. Student organizations at the university include the African Youth League, the Somali Students’ Association, the North and South Sudanese Association, the Eriterian Student Association and the Iranian Student Association.
What to know if you’re from an affected country
If you’re an international traveler coming to the U.S. for tourism, work or student visa purposes, you may face delays or denials in the travel process, according to USA TODAY.
For further guidance, consult the U.S. Department of State’s website or an immigration attorney.
If you’ve already purchased a ticket to travel to the U.S., you should consult with your airline and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Though there may be some exceptions, it is expected that nationals from fully banned countries will still be denied entry, even with a pre-existing ticket.
Nationals from partially restricted countries may still be allowed to travel having previously purchased a ticket, subject to additional screening and delays.
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com, or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New Trump travel ban impacts nearly 20 countries. What to know about the policy
Reporting by Emma Wozniak, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
