White House renews, tweaks travel ban

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump issued new travel restrictions Sunday hours before his existing immigration executive order expired. The new proclamation retains travel restrictions to five countries from the first order: Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia. Trump added Chad, North Korea, and Venezuela and removed Sudan. The new limits are set to take effect Oct. 18. “Following an extensive review by the Department of Homeland Security, we are taking action today to protect the safety and security of the American people by establishing a minimum security baseline for entry into the United States,” the president said in the statement. “My highest obligation is to ensure the safety and security of the American people, and in issuing this new travel order, I am fulfilling that sacred obligation.” Trump signed his first travel order in January, but a federal judge in Washington state blocked its enforcement. He issued a revised order in March, and the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on its merits Oct. 10. The president’s March order included a ban on refugees entering the United States except for those with close relatives already in the country. That portion of the order is set to expire Oct. 24.