UPDATE - Citing national security, Trump further restricts entry of foreign nationals to US

​​​​​​​ADDS INFO

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation further restricting and limiting the entry of foreign nationals to the US, citing national security as his reason, the White House said.

According to a proclamation, the US adds full restrictions and entry limitations on five more countries – Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, all African countries but the last – in addition to the initial list of 12 countries.

The US "also adds full restrictions and entry limitations on individuals holding Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents," it said.

Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously subject to partial restrictions, are now facing full entry limitations. At the same time, the proclamation continues partial restrictions on nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Togo and Venezuela.

The proclamation adds partial entry restrictions for nationals of 15 additional countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, the Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The limits apply to immigrants and to nonimmigrants traveling on certain visa categories, including business, tourist, student and exchange visas.

In one notable change, the administration lifted restrictions on nonimmigrant visas for nationals of Turkmenistan, citing progress in cooperation with US authorities and improvements in identity management and information-sharing. But immigrant entry for Turkmen nationals remains suspended.

The White House said the ban takes effect Jan. 1.

"It is the President’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people," according to the proclamation.