NEW YORK — A new round of travel restrictions from the Trump administration quietly took effect Monday, catching many travelers off guard and sparking fresh anxiety for immigrants and visitors at U.S. airports.
At New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, passengers arriving at Terminal 4 and their loved ones waiting to greet them seemed unaware of the policy shift.
About a dozen people in the terminal’s arrivals area told USA TODAY they were unfamiliar with the updated travel ban, which adds new limitations on visas and entry from almost 20 countries, part of the administration’s continued efforts to tighten U.S. borders.
The updated restrictions primarily target nationals from a select list of countries, but critics say the move sends a chilling message to immigrants and foreign visitors more broadly.
“It’s scary. It makes me worried. It affects my decisions to go home to visit my family,” said Randy Wicaksana, 33, who has lived in the U.S. for about three years.
