As part of President Trump's restrictive immigration policies, a draft circulating within the Republican administration provides for travel bans or restrictions to the United States for citizens of 43 countries, reports the New York Times.

The draft includes 43 countries color-coded into three distinct categories whose citizens could be subject to entry restrictions.

Red : All travel prohibited;

Orange B> Severely restricted visas;

Yellow : 60 days to address U.S. concerns and requirements.

For the countries concerned, this could mean not only the loss of business or educational opportunities, but also the deterioration of diplomatic relations with the United States.

Haiti is placed on the orange list alongside 10 other countries. On this list, travel would be restricted, but not suspended. Wealthy business travelers could be allowed to enter the United States, but not those traveling on immigrant or tourist visas. Citizens on this list would also be subject to mandatory in-person interviews to obtain a visa.

However, according to officials interviewed anonymously by The New York Times, these lists were compiled by the State Department several weeks ago and changes are likely to occur before the final report is submitted to the White House.

Let's recall that upon taking office on January 20, 2025, Trump issued an Executive order requiring the State Department to identify, within 60 days, countries whose information on the screening and verification of their nationals is so inadequate that it justifies a partial or total suspension of their admission. The final report could land on Trump's desk this week (60-day deadline, March 20, 2025).

Let's pray that in this final report, our country's name no longer appears on any of these lists.

SL/ HaitiLibre