Rep. Brandon Gill proposed a 25-year Somalia visa ban, sparking debate over immigration and security [ZbrFBf7mQCe]
He calls it national sovereignty. Others call it a ban on a nationality. Congressman Brandon Gill introduced the Somalia Immigration Moratorium Act in February. It would bar new immigrant and visitor visas for Somali citizens for 25 years, writing into law restrictions President Trump had already imposed by proclamation. Gill, a Texas Republican, said mass Somali immigration makes the country "weaker, poorer" and pointed to a benefit-fraud investigation in Minnesota. His office also cites welfare figures that researchers dispute. The bill would not apply to Somalis already in the United States, to permanent residents or to diplomatic visa holders. It has four co-sponsors and has not been voted on; most bills introduced in Congress never are. Country-specific entry bans have been contested in the courts before, including Trump's first travel ban in 2017.