U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a new proclamation banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States. The directive, announced Wednesday, cites national security as the main reason.
The affected countries include:
Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
According to the proclamation, these nations lack proper security vetting and screening systems. As a result, the U.S. government believes they may pose terrorism or public safety risks.
Additionally, the policy partially restricts travel for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The criteria for selection also factored in:
- Information-sharing practices,
- Presence of terrorist threats,
- Visa overstay rates, and
- A country’s willingness to accept deported nationals.
Ban Takes Effect Monday
The travel restrictions will go into effect Monday, June 9, at 12:01 a.m. ET. The ban applies to individuals outside the U.S. who do not already hold valid visas.
Some exceptions include:
U.S. permanent residents,
Athletes attending major sporting events,
Immediate family members with proven biological ties (such as DNA evidence).
Trump Defends Action in Video Statement
In a video released by the White House, President Trump explained that he ordered a review of “high-risk regions” on his first day in office. He emphasized the importance of tightening U.S. borders and reducing entry from countries that, in his words, “cannot guarantee safe travel.”
He also referenced the recent attack on Jewish protestors in Boulder, Colorado, by Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman. Notably, Egypt is not listed in the new ban.
Policy Draws Backlash from Democrats
Several Democratic lawmakers immediately condemned the move. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) criticized the ban on social media, calling it discriminatory.
“Make no mistake: Trump’s latest travel ban will NOT make America safer,” Markey posted on X. “We cannot continue to allow the Trump administration to write bigotry and hatred into U.S. immigration policy.”
This new action resembles Trump’s controversial 2017 travel ban, which targeted seven Muslim-majority nations. That earlier ban sparked international outrage but was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. President Joe Biden later revoked it in 2021.
If upheld again, this new travel ban could affect thousands seeking entry to the United States, especially for humanitarian, educational, and family reasons.
