President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping new travel ban that blocks or limits immigration and travel from 19 countries, citing national security concerns and inadequate vetting processes.
The new restrictions, announced on Wednesday, fully bar entry to nationals from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The ban applies to both those seeking to immigrate permanently and those trying to enter temporarily on visas, such as tourists.
In addition, Trump’s order imposes partial travel and immigration suspensions on citizens from another seven countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. For these nations, the restrictions affect both permanent immigrant visas and certain temporary visa holders.
The ban is scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, June 9.
According to the Trump administration, the countries listed were chosen due to poor cooperation on deportations, high visa overstay rates, and weak security vetting systems. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors… These commonsense restrictions are country-specific.”
There are exceptions under the new proclamation. U.S. permanent residents, dual nationals holding passports from non-restricted countries, diplomats, athletes, and certain Afghans who helped American forces are not affected by the ban.
The announcement comes just days after a violent incident in Boulder, Colorado, where an Egyptian national, who had overstayed his visa, attacked a group of marchers. Trump referenced the attack in a video released Wednesday night, saying it highlighted the risks of admitting foreign nationals without proper vetting or allowing temporary visitors to remain past their visa expiration.
He also noted that the list could be updated. Countries that improve their security protocols may be removed, and new countries could be added if threats emerge.
This order mirrors the travel bans Trump issued during his first term. His initial 2017 ban faced legal challenges and protests for targeting mostly Muslim-majority nations. Later, the list expanded and shifted. In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld a revised version of that ban. It was revoked by President Biden in 2021.
Trump’s latest action is expected to face renewed legal scrutiny.
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