Democrats decry Trump go back and forth ban as a ‘distraction’ and say it would possibly not make America more secure
Democrats have decried Donald Trump’s go back and forth ban as a “distraction” and say it’s going to no longer make the United States more secure.
Senator Chris Murphy, from Connecticut, stated on X the day before today that “it was no coincidence” that Trump introduced the ban ultimate night time:
Not a twist of fate Trump introduced his go back and forth ban this night. He’s looking to distract us from the core tale. And the core tale is their invoice to throw 15 million other people off their well being care with the intention to give a $270,000 tax lower to the richest Americans.
Senator Adam Schiff, from California, stated “bigotry is not a national security strategy” and the ban would “only further isolate the US” from the remainder of the arena. He posted on X:
This is Trump’s reckless first time period go back and forth ban in every single place once more. Just like ahead of, Trump’s expanded ban on vacationers from all over the world is not going to reinforce our nationwide safety and can best additional isolate the USA from the remainder of global [sic]. Bigotry isn’t a countrywide safety technique.
Senator Ed Markey, from Massachusetts, wrote on X:
Make no mistake: Trump’s newest go back and forth ban will NOT make America more secure. We can not proceed to permit the Trump management to jot down bigotry and hatred into US immigration coverage.
Key occasions
Ahead of the Trump–Xi name nowadays, CNN reported that Chinese officers – who have been deeply cautious of Trump’s unpredictability and monitor report of hanging international leaders in awkward or embarrassing scenarios – had cast off a telephone name, in keeping with other people acquainted, whilst Trump mentioned on a couple of events this spring that he anticipated to talk with Xi quickly.
Afghan girls looking ahead to visas really feel betrayed and deserted by means of US go back and forth ban – Reuters
Afghan girls’s rights defender Fatima, 57, who’s ready in limbo in Pakistan for her US visa to be processed, had her desires shattered in a single day after Donald Trump integrated Afghans amongst the ones banned from getting into the USA.
She labored for many years for US-funded tasks in central Afghanistan and now dangers being driven again to her house nation, the place she fears for her protection and her teenage daughter is not able to wait college. Giving best her first identify for safety causes, she instructed Reuters:
Unfortunately, the selections made by means of President Trump grew to become all of the hopes and ideology people into ashes. We aren’t al-Qaeda, we’re the ones who fought again, we’re the ones who gave our early life, our energy, our bodily power, our voices, the entirety we had, for the dream of a relaxed country, for a rustic the place lets merely breathe, we stood beside Nato forces. And nowadays, to be deserted by means of America is not just tragic, it’s devastating, It is a supply of deep melancholy.
In the chaotic withdrawal of US-led international troops as Taliban forces seized Kabul in 2021, western international locations vowed to lend a hand, particularly the ones Afghans who had labored for them or on tasks they sponsored. But many had been upset.
Then-president Joe Biden pledged to lend a hand “Afghan allies” and presented the P-2 programme for admission as refugees for Afghans who met sure standards, together with having labored for US organisations and media.
The primary refugee recommend company this yr estimated that between 10,000-15,000 Afghans have been ready in Pakistan for his or her visas to be processed, even though that integrated candidates to the Special Immigration Visa (SIV) program for individuals who without delay assisted the USA army and govt, which used to be exempted from this week’s order.
Fatima stated she had was hoping by no means to depart her nation however because the distinguished head of a girls’s rights staff she felt she had no selection after the Taliban returned to energy. The US govt steered her to go back and forth to a 3rd nation for processing and prefer many, her best possibility used to be neighbouring Pakistan the place she arrived in 2023. She after all gained understand that she must ship her circle of relatives’s passports to organize for a flight in January. But a call that month by means of Trump to halt refugee processing threw that into disarray and Fatima has no longer heard from US government since.
In the intervening time, Pakistan started as soon as once more ramping up a repatriation pressure that started in 2023, leaving many within the pipeline for US processing terrified of even leaving the home in case they have been stopped by means of police.
Mahbouba Seraj, a distinguished Kabul-based girls’s rights recommend, stated the brand new US determination used to be an enormous blow to girls’s rights defenders and different inclined teams.
This is completely horrible as a result of a lot of the ones … other people have been ready, they’ve all in their bureaucracy executed, they’re utterly vetted, they’re all in a position to return to the USA, they’ve offered their properties, they’ve no existence in Afghanistan and they’re all ready. Now that is what occurs.
China’s Xi and Trump dangle name at White House’s request, Chinese state media experiences
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and Donald Trump have held their much-anticipated telephone name this morning, the respectable Xinhua state information company experiences, as members of the family proceed to be strained by means of business disputes.
Chinese state media stated the decision happened on the White House’s request. No different data used to be straight away made public. The Chinese international ministry stated this morning that the decision used to be ongoing as of 9am ET.
The name comes amid accusations between Washington and Beijing in fresh weeks over essential minerals in a dispute that threatens to rip up a delicate truce within the business conflict between the 2 greatest economies reached in Geneva ultimate month.
It is the primary identified name between the leaders to happen all the way through Trump’s 2nd time period. Previously, they spoke in January forward of Trump’s inauguration.
Johnson to take a look at to talk to Musk once more over billionaire’s escalating GOP megabill row – Bloomberg
Bloomberg is reporting that the House speaker, Mike Johnson, has as soon as once more reached out to Elon Musk by means of textual content and plans to talk with him nowadays to speak thru his opposition to the GOP tax- and spending-cut megabill, over which the billionaire seems “dug in”.
“JOHNSON on @BloombergTV says he has texted with @elonmusk and plans convo today. Musk appears ‘Dug in’ in opposition to bill, [Johnson] said. Johnson says bill will be ‘jet fuel’ for economy and deficit concerns are misplaced,” in keeping with Bloomberg.
Musk’s relentless assaults at the invoice, which is now into consideration within the Senate and is meant to be the second one Trump management’s flagship law, escalated considerably the day before today, with Politico noting that he dropped at least 32 adverse posts on his X platform within the hours ahead of Trump took to the level at a White House garden tournament. In one put up he stated the invoice would put America “in the fast lane to debt slavery”.
Yesterday, Johnson admitted publicly that Trump used to be “not delighted” by means of Musk’s “180” on his “big, beautiful bill”, even though the president has no longer weighed in publicly himself. And the day before today, Politico reported that Republicans on the subject of the White House have been willing to reframe Musk’s criticisms of the invoice as rooted in his personal self-interest because of the invoice’s affect on his trade pursuits, significantly Tesla.
The tech billionaire lambasted the invoice as a “disgusting abomination” on Tuesday, an afternoon after Johnson had spent part an hour looking to persuade Musk that the invoice would, in the long run, make the federal government more practical. Johnson stated that dialog ended “on a great note” and so he used to be “surprised” when Musk “24 hours later, he does a 180 and he comes out as opposed to the bill”. Johnson stated he had attempted to name Musk on Tuesday however he didn’t resolution.
In his tirade towards the invoice on Tuesday, Musk known as it “outrageous” and “pork-filled” because of its results on expanding the federal deficit. It marked a vital escalation in language, as in earlier feedback to CBS News he had stated he used to be “disappointed” by means of the invoice and stated it might “undermine” the federal cost-cutting paintings of his crew at Doge.
Under the go back and forth ban Trump introduced ultimate night time, the nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will probably be “fully” limited from getting into the USA, in keeping with the proclamation. Meanwhile, the access of nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will probably be in part limited.
Human Rights First highlights the case of Trump’s concentrated on of Afghanistan, which “marks another broken promise to Afghans who supported and advanced the US mission in Afghanistan for decades”.
These folks at the moment are in grave threat of retaliation by means of the Taliban for the reason that chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. While Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders are exempt from the go back and forth ban restrictions, different at-risk Afghans will probably be impacted by means of this hateful ban. Many are at grave threat because of the deteriorating prerequisites in-country and many had been looking ahead to years to reunite with family members within the United States. The US govt has an obligation to offer protection to those folks and the go back and forth ban makes it even tougher for them to flee persecution, jeopardizing their lives and the guarantees made to them by means of the United States.
Shala Gafary, the managing lawyer at Project: Afghan Legal Assistance at Human Rights First, stated:
The Trump management’s go back and forth ban will block inclined Afghans from attaining protection and extend the separation of determined households with family members within the United States, together with in some circumstances kids who have been separated from folks all the way through the 2021 withdrawal.
Our nation has an obligation and ethical crucial to honor commitments made to those that risked the entirety in improve of advancing American values.
Human rights teams condemn Trump’s ‘racist’ and ‘merciless’ go back and forth ban
In a commentary condemning the Trump management’s go back and forth ban, Human Rights First stated the ban “disproportionately targets Muslim-majority nations and undermines the United States’ foundational principles of equality under the law”.
It stated that “this new iteration of [Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ from his first term] is “a continuation of that assault on the rights of vulnerable populations, especially Muslims and other minorities, and represents a dangerous abuse of executive power”.
Robyn Barnard, senior director of refugee advocacy at Human Rights First, stated the coverage used to be “divisive and racist” and would best serve to “undermine national security and “target those most in need of protection”. She stated:
This go back to divisive and racist insurance policies to focus on whole populations marks but some other anti-immigrant and punitive motion taken by means of President Trump.
The ban will hurt refugees, asylum seekers, and different inclined populations, together with many that had been ready to reunite with family members in our nation. Bans do not anything to make our nation safe, however quite undermine our nationwide safety and arbitrarily goal the ones maximum wanting coverage.
Amnesty International USA stated on X:
President Trump’s new go back and forth ban is discriminatory, racist, and downright merciless. By concentrated on other people in line with their nationality, this ban best spreads disinformation and hate.
Democrats decry Trump go back and forth ban as a ‘distraction’ and say it would possibly not make America more secure
Democrats have decried Donald Trump’s go back and forth ban as a “distraction” and say it’s going to no longer make the United States more secure.
Senator Chris Murphy, from Connecticut, stated on X the day before today that “it was no coincidence” that Trump introduced the ban ultimate night time:
Not a twist of fate Trump introduced his go back and forth ban this night. He’s looking to distract us from the core tale. And the core tale is their invoice to throw 15 million other people off their well being care with the intention to give a $270,000 tax lower to the richest Americans.
Senator Adam Schiff, from California, stated “bigotry is not a national security strategy” and the ban would “only further isolate the US” from the remainder of the arena. He posted on X:
This is Trump’s reckless first time period go back and forth ban in every single place once more. Just like ahead of, Trump’s expanded ban on vacationers from all over the world is not going to reinforce our nationwide safety and can best additional isolate the USA from the remainder of global [sic]. Bigotry isn’t a countrywide safety technique.
Senator Ed Markey, from Massachusetts, wrote on X:
Make no mistake: Trump’s newest go back and forth ban will NOT make America more secure. We can not proceed to permit the Trump management to jot down bigotry and hatred into US immigration coverage.
India and the USA are conserving high-level talks this week, aiming to finalise tariff cuts in sectors equivalent to farm and vehicles as a part of an meantime deal, two govt resources stated, with a press release most likely later this month.
A US delegation led by means of senior officers from the place of work of the United States business consultant started closed-door, two-day discussions in New Delhi on Thursday with Indian business officers headed by means of leader negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, the resources stated.
“During the current round of talks, negotiators are discussing tariff cuts on specific sectors including agriculture and autos, and proposed benefits for Indian companies,” one Indian govt supply, stated.
Putin is able to lend a hand Trump on Iran nuclear negotiations, the Kremlin says
President Vladimir Putin instructed US president Donald Trump that he used to be in a position to make use of Russia’s shut partnership with Iran to lend a hand with negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme, the Kremlin stated on Thursday.
Trump stated after a telephone name with Putin on Wednesday that point used to be working out for Iran to come to a decision on its nuclear programme and that he believed Putin agreed that the Islamic Republic must no longer have nuclear guns.
Putin, in keeping with Trump, recommended that he take part within the discussions with Iran and that “he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion”, even though Iran used to be “slow walking”.
“We have close partner relations with Tehran and, naturally, President Putin said that we are ready to use this level of partnership with Tehran in order to facilitate and contribute to the negotiations that are taking place to resolve the issue of the Iranian nuclear dossier,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov instructed newshounds on Thursday.
Asked when Putin may sign up for the negotiations, Peskov stated that discussion with Tehran and Washington persevered thru more than a few channels.
“The president will be able to get involved when necessary,” Peskov stated.
Gabrielle Canon
Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into Joe Biden’s movements as president, alleging best aides masked his predecessor’s “cognitive decline”.
The investigation will construct on a Republican-led marketing campaign already below technique to discredit the previous president and overturn a few of his govt movements, together with pardons and federal regulations issued in opposition to the tip of his time period in place of work.
Biden issued a commentary pushing aside the speculation of a cover-up as “ridiculous”. “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”
GOP lawmakers on Wednesday sought testimony from 5 of Biden’s best aides and advisers, together with his first leader of personnel, about his “mental and physical faculties”. The House oversight committee headed by means of the Republican consultant James Comer of Kentucky used to be already talking to 4 others, in keeping with experiences from CBS News.
A separate inquiry used to be introduced on Tuesday by means of Ed Martin, a justice division lawyer, into clemencies Biden issued in his ultimate days in place of work to members of the family in addition to demise row inmates.
Biden’s cognitive talents all the way through his presidency had been a Republican speaking level for a number of years and Trump has ceaselessly recommended that a few of Biden’s movements are invalid as a result of his aides have been usurping presidential authority to hide up what Trump claims is Biden’s cognitive decline.
Amy Hawkins
Donald Trump signed a proclamation to limit international pupil visas at Harvard University, the White House stated on Wednesday.
The order would droop for an preliminary six months the access into the USA of international nationals looking for to review or take part in change techniques at Harvard. Trump declared that it might jeopardize nationwide safety to permit Harvard to proceed webhosting international scholars.
The proclamation is the USA president’s newest try to choke the Ivy League college from a world pipeline that accounts for 1 / 4 of the coed frame, and an extra escalation within the White House’s combat with the establishment.
“I have determined that the entry of the class of foreign nationals described above is detrimental to the interests of the United States because, in my judgment, Harvard’s conduct has rendered it an unsuitable destination for foreign students and researchers,” Trump wrote within the order.
Trump’s proclamation additionally directs the USA state division to believe revoking instructional or change visas of any present Harvard scholars who meet his proclamation’s standards.
Harvard in a commentary known as Trump’s proclamation “yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights.”
“Harvard will continue to protect its international students.”
Hegseth tells Nato assembly US reviewing its ‘pressure posture’
The United States is reviewing its pressure posture, protection secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday instructed newshounds whilst in Brussels for a Nato assembly with protection ministers.
“There are reasons why we have troops in certain places, and we respect and understand that. It is also prudent that we review that force posture in real time alongside our allies and workers to make sure it’s right sized”, Hegseth stated.
He stated that Nato allies are nearing a consensus on committing 5% of GDP to defence spending

Alexander Abnos
Donald Trump’s newly signed go back and forth ban accommodates an exemption that would observe to gamers, personnel or related households with golf equipment collaborating within the 2025 Club World Cup, 2026 Fifa World Cup or the 2028 Olympics.
The US president has signed a sweeping order banning go back and forth from 12 international locations and proscribing go back and forth from seven others, reviving and increasing the go back and forth bans from his first time period.
The nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will probably be “fully” limited from getting into the USA, in keeping with the proclamation. Meanwhile, the access of nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will probably be partly limited.
There is an exemption, then again, defined in segment 4 of the order, which states that “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state” aren’t matter to the ban.
Venezuela has hit again over the Trump management’s go back and forth ban by means of caution that the USA itself is a deadly position, whilst Somalia straight away pledged to paintings with Washington on safety problems.
The blended responses got here after Donald Trump signed a ban concentrated on 12 international locations additionally together with Afghanistan, Iran and Yemen in a revival of one of the crucial debatable measures from his first time period.
“Being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans,” Diosdado Cabello, the internal minister in Caracas, stated after the announcement, caution voters towards go back and forth there and describing the USA govt as fascist. “They persecute our countrymen, our people for no reason.”
Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the USA, stated in a commentary: “Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised.”
Calls early on Thursday to the spokesperson of Myanmar’s army govt weren’t spoke back. The international ministry of Laos didn’t straight away reply to a request for remark, Reuters reported.
President Vladimir Putin instructed US president Donald Trump that he used to be ready use the partnership between Russia and Iran to give a contribution to a agreement of the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme, the Kremlin stated on Thursday.
Trump has requested Serbia to take US deportees, Bloomberg experiences
President Donald Trump’s management is pushing Serbia and different Balkan international locations to soak up the migrants deported from the USA, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.
The outlet reported:
The requests to international locations within the area are ongoing and a part of a broader technique to in finding international governments prepared to obtain migrants despatched from the USA, together with some who at the start entered below Biden-era protections, in keeping with the folks, who asked anonymity since the talks have been personal.
Joseph Gedeon
Nearly 5 months into his 2nd time period, Donald Trump has introduced a brand new sweeping go back and forth ban that would reshape the USA’s borders extra dramatically than any coverage in trendy reminiscence.
The restrictions, printed thru a presidential proclamation on Wednesday, would goal voters from greater than a dozen international locations – making a three-tiered machine of escalating limitations to access.
The proclamation represents one of the crucial formidable makes an attempt to reshape the USA’s strategy to world mobility in trendy historical past and doubtlessly impacts thousands and thousands of other people coming to the United States for relocation, go back and forth, paintings or college.
Trump go back and forth ban to ‘sow department and vilify communities’
Good morning, and welcome to our weblog overlaying traits in US politics and Donald Trump’s management. International support teams and affected international locations reacted to the sweeping order banning go back and forth from 12 international locations and proscribing guests from seven others, with claims that it’s going to sow department and vilify communities.
The nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will probably be “fully” limited from getting into the USA, in keeping with the proclamation. Meanwhile, the access of nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will probably be partly limited.
In a video launched on social media, Trump tied the brand new ban to Sunday’s terror assault in Boulder, Colorado, announcing it underscored the risks posed by means of some guests who overstay visas. The suspect within the assault is from Egypt, a rustic that’s not on Trump’s limited listing. The Department of Homeland Security says he overstayed a vacationer visa.
“This policy is not about national security – it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,” stated Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America.
Few of the affected international locations have to this point spoke back however Somalia straight away pledged to paintings with the USA to deal with safety problems. “Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised,” Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the United States, stated in a commentary.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan inside minister, Diosdado Cabello, an in depth best friend of president Nicolas Maduro, described the USA govt as fascist and warned Venezuelans of being in the USA.
The fact is being within the United States is a huge threat for any one, no longer only for Venezuelans … They persecute our countrymen, our other people for no explanation why.”
We’ll be overlaying all of the traits on this tale and you’ll be able to learn our document right here:
In different information:
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Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into Joe Biden’s movements as president, alleging best aides masked his predecessor’s “cognitive decline”. The investigation will construct on a Republican-led marketing campaign already below technique to discredit the previous president. Biden issued a commentary pushing aside the speculation of a cover-up as “ridiculous”.
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is ready to satisfy with Trump on Thursday, hoping to construct a private dating in spite of discord over Ukraine and the specter of a business conflict. The president is because of greet Merz at 11.30am EST.
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Trump is dedicated to passing his so-called “big beautiful” tax invoice in the USA Senate in spite of opposition from billionaire Elon Musk, a White House respectable stated on Wednesday. The respectable, talking to Reuters on situation of anonymity, added that the White House is not going to seek the advice of Musk on each and every coverage determination. Estimates say that the invoice may upload $2.4trn to the deficit. Musk has stepped up assaults at the invoice on X, urging supporters to “Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL.”