Trump’s Sweeping Travel Ban on 12 Countries Goes Into Effect

By Staff, Agencies

A broad new travel restriction signed by Donald Trump officially went into effect at midnight on Monday, barring or limiting entry into the United States for citizens of nearly two dozen countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, reigniting debate over the president’s immigration agenda and its global impact.

This latest measure, enacted more than eight years after Trump’s original travel ban triggered mass protests and legal battles, marks a significant expansion in scope.

Citizens from 12 nations: Afghanistan, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, the Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, are now subject to a full entry ban.

Partial restrictions will apply to travelers from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Legal analysts noted that unlike Trump's 2017 "Muslim ban," the new directive is broader and worded to avoid similar legal challenges.

Despite its sweeping implications, the rollout of the new ban has so far been met with limited public outcry.

It comes amid heightened tensions over Trump’s hardline immigration tactics, including his controversial use of the National Guard in Los Angeles following a wave of protests against renewed deportation raids.

The latest proclamation includes Haiti, a majority-Christian nation that Trump vilified during his earlier presidential campaign, even promoting a discredited conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants were responsible for bizarre acts of cruelty in the US.

The inclusion of Venezuela, where Trump’s administration recently faced backlash over deportations to a notorious prison in El Salvador, has also drawn renewed scrutiny.

Critics say the policy will disproportionately impact African countries, cutting off avenues for students, professionals, and families.

Mikhail Nyamweya, a foreign policy expert, has warned that the ban may institutionalize “a perception of Africans as outsiders in the global order.”

Humanitarian groups echoed concerns, with Oxfam America's president saying the policy sows division and vilifies those seeking safety in the U.S.

Though some restricted countries aren't Muslim-majority, the list largely targets non-white nations, renewing claims of racial and religious bias in Trump's immigration policy.

Notably, the new order does not invalidate visas already issued before the policy took effect.

However, new applicants from listed countries face near-certain rejection unless they meet a narrow set of exceptions, according to guidance issued Friday to US embassies and consulates.