President Donald Trump is reinstating his previous “travel ban,” a move he pledged during his campaign. He argues that these restrictions are necessary to safeguard national security by preventing entire nationalities from entering the United States.
On Wednesday, Trump issued a proclamation restricting entry for nationals of 12 countries and imposing stricter regulations on nationals of seven others, set to take effect on June 9. Exemptions will be made for lawful permanent residents, specific visa holders, and athletes/team members traveling for major sporting events. (The U.S. is scheduled to host the this summer, the , and the .)
Trump’s , initially implemented a week after his 2017 inauguration, caused and nationwide. Often called a “Muslim travel ban,” it initially targeted Muslim-majority countries, blocking Syrian refugees and temporarily suspending entry from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The list evolved over time and faced legal challenges, eventually being by the Supreme Court in 2018. President Joe Biden the ban upon assuming office in 2021.
This new “travel ban” follows a tasking the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and the Director of National Intelligence with identifying countries posing security and public safety risks.
In Wednesday’s proclamation, Trump stated the new restrictions are needed to “prevent the entry or admission of foreign nationals about whom the United States Government lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose to the United States.”
What countries have new restrictions?
The proclamation completely suspends entry for nationals of Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will encounter limited restrictions. These include bans on immigrant entry and bans on nonimmigrant entry for individuals holding specific visa types.
In a announcing the proclamation on X, Trump indicated that the list could be expanded to include other countries “as threats emerge around the world.” A March internal memo, as reported by the , suggested that up to 43 countries could potentially be included in such a ban.
Why were these countries on the list?
The White House provides justifications for each of the 19 countries on the list.
Some countries have connections to terrorism. Afghanistan is under the control of the Taliban; Iran has ties to militant groups such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Hamas; and Somalia, home to al-Shabaab, is designated as a “terrorist safe haven” by the U.S.
Other countries are considered uncooperative with the U.S. regarding the sharing of law enforcement data or accepting the return of their nationals subject to removal.
In the video on X, Trump referenced the June 1 attack in , which resulted in multiple injuries. He stated that it “underscored the extreme danger posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas.” The Boulder attacker entered the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa that has since expired.
“Thanks to Biden’s open-door policies, today there are millions and millions of these illegals who should not be in our country,” said the President, who has also promised a effort. “We don’t want them.”
Trump asserted that his initial travel restrictions were among his “most successful” policies and contributed to preventing terror attacks.
“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” Trump said in the video. “And nothing will stop us from keeping America safe.”
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