Trump Bans Nationals from 12 Countries

By Staff, Agencies

President Donald Trump has issued a sweeping proclamation banning entry to nationals from 12 countries, claiming the restrictions are necessary to protect the US from terrorism and security risks.

The countries facing full bans include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, Reuters reported.

Additionally, partial restrictions will be imposed on travelers from seven more countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The new travel restrictions will take effect on June 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT. However, visas issued before that date will remain valid.

This action revives and expands upon Trump’s controversial travel bans from his first term, which primarily targeted majority-Muslim countries and were upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018 before being rescinded by former President Joe Biden in 2021. Biden had called the original ban “a stain on our national conscience.”

In the new proclamation, Trump argued that the targeted countries either harbor terrorists, fail to cooperate on visa security, lack reliable traveler identity verification, or have weak criminal record-keeping and high visa overstay rates.

“We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States,” Trump stated, citing Sunday’s attack in Boulder, Colorado, where an Egyptian national allegedly threw a gasoline bomb into a pro-Israel demonstration. Egypt, however, is not included in the new restrictions.

Somalia responded diplomatically, pledging cooperation with the United States to address the concerns. “Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States,” said Somali Ambassador Dahir Hassan Abdi, adding the country is open to dialogue.

In contrast, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello condemned the move, calling the US “fascist” and warning that being in the United States is “a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans.”

Officials from other affected countries, including Myanmar and Laos, have not yet responded to the decision.

The ban is the latest development in a broader immigration crackdown Trump initiated upon returning to office. In January, he issued an executive order demanding intensified vetting of foreign nationals and ordered cabinet-level officials to evaluate countries based on the adequacy of their security cooperation.

In March, Reuters reported that the administration was considering similar travel restrictions on a wider list of countries, many of which are now included in this latest action.

The move is expected to trigger legal challenges and international criticism, echoing the controversy that followed Trump’s original travel ban in 2017.