Trump may face travel restrictions in some countries after New York conviction

Former President Donald Trump, whose administration imposed several versions of a travel ban on people from majority-Muslim countries, could now face restrictions on his own international travel, following his felony conviction in New York on Thursday.

At this point, Trump faces no specific travel restrictions by Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the “silence” criminal trial in New York, in which the former president was convicted on 34 counts. His sentencing is expected to take place on July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention, which will formalize his nomination for president. Trump, who is in the middle of the presidential campaign and who has three other criminal trials pending, has not announced any international travel plans.

The United States does not allow foreigners with felony convictions to enter the country, and neither do a number of other countries. Allies including the United Kingdom and Australia have strict restrictions on travel as a convicted criminal, according to the European Travel Information and Authorization System. Canada, which will host the G7 summit of world leaders in 2025, also imposes strict requirements on visitors with criminal backgrounds. And criminals are not allowed to enter China.

But it’s possible that international leaders will make exceptions for Trump if he wins the presidency again. Former President George W. Bush had to request a special exemption to enter Canada on an official state visit because he had pleaded guilty decades earlier to a drunk driving charge in 1976. And it was a misdemeanor, not a crime.

Trump is considering renewing and revamping travel restrictions to the United States if he becomes president again. Last year he said he would reinstate an “even bigger than before” travel ban, referring to restrictions on travelers coming from several countries with predominantly Muslim populations.

The Supreme Court finally confirmed a version of his travel ban, 5-4, in 2018. Chief Justice John Roberts, wrote in the majority opinion that presidents have substantial power to regulate immigration. “The only prerequisite,” Roberts wrote, is “that the entry of the targeted aliens ‘would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.’ The President has undoubtedly met that requirement here.” He also noted that Trump had ordered an assessment of each country’s compliance with the risk assessment basis and subsequently published the findings.

When discussing the increase in the number of undocumented migrants crossing the border between the United States and Mexico, the former president also regularly describes them as “criminals”.

“So we’re removing criminals from our country, and we’re eliminating them in record numbers, and those are the people we’re looking for,” the former president said early in his term in an interview with The Associated Press in 2017.

While awaiting sentencing in the hush money affair, Trump maintains he did nothing wrong.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to save our country and our Constitution. That doesn’t bother me,” he added. he said in remarks at Trump Tower on Friday.