President Donald Trump signed a new proclamation on Wednesday barring citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States. The move is part of a broader immigration crackdown
launched in his second term, which also includes heightened deportation efforts and tightened restrictions on foreign students.
“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” Trump said in a video message posted to X, adding that the list of affected countries may be updated in the future.
The order takes effect on June 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT, and will not revoke any visas issued prior to that date.
Motivation Behind the Ban
Trump referenced a recent attack in Colorado — allegedly carried out by an Egyptian man using a Molotov cocktail — as justification for the move. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, had overstayed his visa and remained in the U.S. after his work authorization expired.
“The recent terror attack in Boulder highlights the extreme danger posed by poorly vetted foreign nationals and visa overstays,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “We don’t want them.”
This latest measure echoes Trump’s first-term travel ban, which initially targeted several Muslim-majority nations and was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. That earlier ban was later repealed by President Joe Biden in 2021, who called it “a stain on our national conscience.”
Criteria for the Ban
According to Trump, countries facing the strictest bans were selected based on several factors:
Inability to verify travelers’ identities
Poor record-keeping of criminal backgrounds
High rates of visa overstays
Limited cooperation on deportations
Presence of terrorist groups
“We cannot allow open migration from nations that we cannot safely and reliably screen,” Trump said.
Countries Fully Banned from U.S. Travel
Afghanistan – Lacks a reliable central authority for passport and identity verification.
Chad
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Haiti
Iran
Libya
Myanmar
Republic of the Congo
Somalia
Sudan
Yemen
Countries Facing Travel Restrictions
Burundi
Cuba
Laos
Sierra Leone
Togo
Turkmenistan
Venezuela
Some governments responded swiftly. Somalia, one of the banned countries, expressed willingness to cooperate:
“Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue,” said Somali Ambassador Dahir Hassan Abdi.
In contrast, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello denounced the U.S. decision, calling it “fascist” and warning Venezuelans of the risks of being in the U.S.
Impacts Abroad
The announcement has already disrupted individual lives. A 31-year-old teacher from Myanmar, who was preparing to join a U.S. State Department exchange program, said her future is now uncertain.
“We needed several recommendation letters to apply. I was going to help universities with digital education,” she explained. “Now, I haven’t heard anything since the ban was announced.”
Background and Future Outlook
Trump’s current immigration policies reflect the hardline stance he previewed during his campaign, where he vowed to restrict entry from regions like the Gaza Strip, Libya, and Somalia. In January 2025, he also signed an executive order requiring intensified vetting of foreign nationals to identify potential national security threats.
With the new proclamation now in place, the administration has signaled that more countries could be added to the list — reinforcing Trump’s efforts to reshape U.S. immigration policy. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Gordon Hyde, Wikimedia commons.
