The Department of Homeland Security enacted a new policy in the early morning hours on Tuesday, blocking travelers from certain Muslim-majority nations from bringing larger electronics on flights to the US.
The rules affect 10 airports in eight nations, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Morocco, Turkey, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt. They apply only to foreign carriers, not US airliners.
Electronics covered by the ban include laptops, tablets, cameras, and larger gaming consoles. They can, however, be carried in checked bags.
Officials told the New York Times that roughly 50 flights into the US each day would be affected by the new regulations. The paper added that some Transportation Security Administration officials were not briefed on the laptop ban before it took effect, suggesting it was “rushed out.”
No formal rationale was given for the enhanced security measure, but NBC News reported that a US official had claimed: “evaluated intelligence indicates that terror groups continue to target aviation, to include smuggling explosives in electronic devices.”
The policy adds more hardships to visitors from Muslim nations, and applies to more countries than Trump’s controversial travel ban, which has been stalled in the courts. It would force more fees on travelers now required to check their bags storing electronics.
The maneuver could also effect American travelers down the road, should any of the affected countries opt to reciprocate with their own electronics ban.
Despite the concerns, there appears to be little opposition among Democrats to Trump’s latest actions.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the Ranking Member on the House Intelligence Committee released a statement on Tuesday, lauding the order. “I fully support the new security precautions implement by the Department,” he said.
Schiff has taken on a higher profile in recent months, since he has led House Democrats in their probe of the Trump administration’s ties to Russia. But he had nothing to say in opposition to the electronics ban, calling it “both necessary and proportional to the threat.”
Homeland Security chief John Kelly is also weighing other travel restrictions on foreign entrants to the US. During a congressional hearing in February, Kelly said the department was looking into requiring overseas visitors to give up their social media passwords to customs authorities.
The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups warned that such a policy could have a chilling effect on global free speech.
