Various Caribbean leaders want details on a possible travel ban by the Trump administration, which reportedly includes 43 countries worldwide.
Per Reuters, a March 15 letter by the Antigua and Barbuda embassy in Washington, D.C. expressed “deep concern” over being listed on the alleged travel ban draft. The small Eastern Caribbean country reportedly asked for information on the travel ban‘s measures. Moreover, details were requested regarding its government’s “deficiencies” with the United States “so that they may be promptly discussed and remedied.”
The Caribbean country, consisting of three islands, is one of seven in the region reportedly included in the travel ban list. According to the Miami Herald, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis are listed in the third tier of the draft. Haiti is in the second tier, while Cuba is in the first. The tiered system has also been referred to as red (first), orange (second), and yellow (third), with countries in the red tier facing the strictest travel restrictions.
During a March 17 press conference, Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said, “…we are prepared to respond” regarding the U.S.’ concerns. However, he did note at that time that he was unaware of what those concerns about Dominica are.
The government of St. Kitts and Nevis has also reportedly sought clarification about its alleged listing in the third tier.
What Is There To Know About The Speculated Travel Ban?
The purported second-term Trump travel ban is amid the administration’s discontent with Cuban doctors being employed throughout the Caribbean. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in late February that the U.S. was expanding an “existing Cuba-related visa restriction policy.” With the expansion, foreign government officials (and their families) face the threat of U.S. visa restrictions over potentially greenlighting Cuban medical aid in their countries.
“Cuba’s labor export programs, which include the medical missions, enrich the Cuban regime, and in the case of Cuba’s overseas medical missions, deprive ordinary Cubans of the medical care they desperately need in their home country,” declared Rubio’s press statement.
Notably, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said during a March 17 press briefing that “there is no [travel ban] list.” However, she said that “there is a review, as we know, through the president’s executive order, for us [the State Department] to look at the nature of what’s going to help keep America safer in dealing with the issue of visas and who’s allowed into the country.”
