House Democrats plan to stymie administration’s new travel ban

WASHINGTON — Democrats plan to vote on a bill in coming weeks that would strike down President Donald Trump’s travel ban and curb his authority to impede travel to the United States, even as the president is planning to add new countries to the list.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced Monday that Congress intends to address the issue, putting out a statement on the third anniversary of Trump’s initial travel ban, which barred visitors from several mostly Muslim nations. Trump issued three versions of the travel ban, starting in January 2017, instigating legal challenges and claims that the policy amounts to religious-based discrimination. Federal court judges halted the bans before the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly let the restrictions stand.

Democrats in both the House and Senate filed the “NO BAN Act” last year to revoke Trump’s policy and an administration move to significantly limit asylum claims at the southern border with Mexico. The measure would allow the president to restrict travel into the United States, but it would require the U.S. government to provide specific evidence of threats to national security or public safety before imposing any restrictions. The measure also would generally prohibit discrimination based on religion or national origin.

The bill could have a chance at passage in the Democrat-led House, but it is unlikely to get past the Republican-dominated Senate.