The US State Department is “undertaking a full review of all visa programs,” a department spokesperson confirmed amid reports of an impending new travel ban, and a US official familiar with the situation told CNN that Afghanistan could be among the countries included.
The official said the ban could come as soon as next week but noted it was unclear if final decisions on countries and timing had been made.
In an executive order issued on January 20, President Donald Trump directed cabinet members, including the Secretary of State, to compile a list of countries “for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries.” The executive order calls for this to be done within 60 days.
“The Department is undertaking a full review of all visa programs as directed under this EO and executing on administration priorities,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson would not give further details, saying they do “not comment on internal deliberations or communications.”
A White House official told CNN, “No decisions regarding possible travel bans have been made, and anyone claiming otherwise does not know what they are talking about.”
In his first term, Trump barred travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations from coming to the US, a policy that saw court challenges before President Joe Biden repealed it when he took office in 2021.
If Afghanistan is included in the new travel ban, it could impact tens of thousands of Afghans who worked alongside the US during its two decades of war there, as it would block Afghan nationals from coming to the US.
Tens of thousands of Afghans have already been caught in limbo due to other Trump administration executive orders suspending the US refugee admissions program and the suspension of foreign aid funding for flights of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders.
On Wednesday, AfghanEvac, a coalition of organizations that has been working to bring Afghan allies to safety since the end of the war in Afghanistan in 2021, urged “all Afghan nationals holding valid U.S. visas to travel as soon as possible amid credible indications that a travel ban affecting Afghan nationals may be imminent.”
“While no official announcement has been made, multiple sources within the U.S. government suggest that a new travel restriction could be implemented within the next week. This potential policy change may significantly impact Afghan visa holders who have been awaiting relocation to the United States,” the group’s notice said.
The International Refugee Admissions Project (IRAP) also spoke out against reports of a new travel ban, saying in a news release Friday that many of their clients “have been waiting years for their visas to be processed and remain in extremely dangerous circumstances.”
“A new travel ban would put their lives at risk by denying them the opportunity to reach safety. Even a temporary suspension will result in immediate and lasting harm for refugees and their families,” the statement said.
“While we do not yet know the full scope of who could be impacted, reports indicate that Afghan refugees targeted by the Taliban, including Special Immigrant Visa holders and others who supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, could all be subjected to this unlawful ban,” it continued. “It is shameful that the Trump administration is abandoning America’s promise to protect Afghan allies and other forcibly displaced people around the world.”
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
CNN’s Angelica Franganillo Diaz and Kit Maher contributed to this report.
