Donald Trump President: an uncertain future for ESTA

The new U. S. president does not reassure tourists or business travellers wishing to fill their ESTA form. According to Donald Trump, the U. S. must tighten its immigration policy to the "highest degree". Whether it is the issue of illegal immigrants from Mexico, or legal workers, everything has to be reviewed in order to make America a great country: "Make America Great Again."

Border control, the focus of the new US President's campaign

It is no secret that Donald Trump has been tackling the issue of immigration since the beginning of his campaign by making increasingly politically incorrect statements. It describes a whole program to reform; or rather harden access to American territory:

• Construction of a large wall along the American-Mexican border.
• Removes illegal immigrants far beyond borders to discourage them from returning.
• More severity for crimes committed by foreigners, see "0 tolerance."
• Block federal funds in sanctuary cities. These cities, which collaborate little with the federal state, often leave immigrants in illegal situations on their territory.
• Implement all immigration laws and overturn Barack Obama's presidential decrees.
• Extreme tightening of visa policy; some nationals of so-called "sensitive" countries will have to pass an "ideological certification" to be sure that they do not represent a danger for civil society.
• Complete biometric monitoring of entry and exit from the territory in order to better control the movement of legal immigrants.
• Less or no social benefits and housing subsidies for legal immigrants.
• Comprehensive reform of legal immigration to protect American workers.

With such a comprehensive and precise immigration program, it is easy to understand that Donald Trump did not present himself as the candidate for the opening and that his passage to the White House could complicate the process of obtaining ESTA for many French people wishing to spend a stay in the United States.

France blacklisted by Donald Trump could lose its right to ESTA

In addition to Mexican illegal immigration, Donald Trump addresses the rise of radical Islamism and comments about the attacks on France in recent years. According to him, the France does not have sufficient control over its movements on the territory, as does its German neighbour. Because of its lax policy, France finds itself "gangrenous by terrorism". As a result, he considers that French citizens could pose a risk to the national security of the United States and controls will be more "strict" for ESTA or VISAS. It will be necessary to prove that there is no threat, and otherwise entries may be refused. All the more so since the candidate had felt that the USA should make greater use of facial checks and that Muslims around the world were not welcome, regardless of their country of origin. But following these statements, criticized by his own party, it seems that the Republican candidate has abandoned this project.

Can he really implement his radical immigration plan?

Donald Trump is known for his buzz and likes to make people talk about him. Whether good or bad. One might then wonder whether the businessman he embodies is aware of the economic consequences of such statements. Not to mention the costs of more ESTA or VISA controls, one wonders whether the United States has any real economic interest in worsening its diplomatic relations with the major European powers such as France and Germany. In addition, his statements concerning Muslim immigration could also have an impact on the Gulf countries and thus impact the oil industry. Not to mention that Donald Trump will have to face Congress to pass all these laws. Not being unanimous even within his own party, he is very likely that his most radical statements will have served only to make the buzz.