00:00A sweeping decision from the White House
00:27is reshaping who can enter the United States.
00:31In a move framed as a matter of national security,
00:34President Donald Trump has sharply expanded America's travel ban,
00:39adding seven more countries to a list that already spans much of the globe.
00:45The proclamation, signed Tuesday,
00:47bars citizens of seven additional countries from entering the U.S., including Syria.
00:53The White House says the move strengthens restrictions on nations
00:57with what it calls severe deficiencies in screening and vetting.
01:02Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Laos, and Sierra Leone.
01:10Laos and Sierra Leone had previously faced only partial restrictions,
01:15but are now under a full ban.
01:17The White House says all expanded measures will take effect on January 1.
01:22The inclusion of Syria is especially striking.
01:26Just weeks ago, Trump pledged support for Syria's future
01:30after landmark talks with its new president, Ahmed al-Shara,
01:34who has sought to end decades of isolation after toppling Bashar al-Assad.
01:40But that tone shifted dramatically after a deadly attack in Syria.
01:45Two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter
01:48were killed when a suspected Islamic State attacker struck a joint convoy.
01:53The White House also cited visa overstay rates and Syria's fragile civil infrastructure,
02:00saying the country lacks a reliable central authority to issue passports or conduct adequate vetting.
02:06This expansion builds on a sweeping order Trump signed in June,
02:11banning travelers from 12 countries outright
02:14and imposing partial restrictions on seven others,
02:17rules that remain fully in place.
02:20Trump has also added partial restrictions on 15 more countries,
02:25including Nigeria, which has drawn scrutiny
02:27after Trump cited concerns over violence against Christians,
02:32claims Nigeria disputes.
02:33Since returning to office, Trump has aggressively enforced integration policy,
02:39deploying federal agents to cities
02:41and sharply limiting asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.
02:45The latest expansion follows last month's fatal shooting
02:49of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
02:53Investigators say the suspect entered the U.S.
02:56through a resettlement program in 2021.
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