Trump Imposes New Travel Ban on 12 Countries Citing National SecurityTrump Imposes New Travel Ban on 12 Countries Citing National Security
President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping travel ban affecting citizens from 12 countries, citing pressing national security concerns.
The new proclamation, set to take effect on June 9, 2025, bars entry to nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition to the full bans, partial travel restrictions have been imposed on citizens from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Certain exemptions apply, including athletes attending major international sporting events, select Afghan nationals, and dual citizens holding passports from unaffected countries.
In a video message posted on X, Trump emphasized the rationale behind the directive: “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen.”
The White House identified key factors prompting the restrictions, including the presence of terrorist networks, insufficient cooperation on visa security, poor identity verification systems, lack of reliable criminal record data, and high rates of visa overstays.
This proclamation builds on Trump’s ongoing immigration and border security agenda, initiated early in his second term.
On January 20, 2025, Trump signed an executive order mandating enhanced security screenings for foreign nationals and directing agencies to reassess countries’ eligibility for U.S. entry based on vetting capabilities.
Observers note this move echoes Trump’s earlier controversial travel ban during his first term, which initially targeted seven predominantly Muslim countries. That policy was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 but repealed by President Joe Biden in 2021, who labeled it “a stain on our national conscience.”
Trump’s latest ban signals a renewed hardline approach to immigration, underscoring ongoing tensions between national security priorities and debates over inclusivity and human rights in U.S. immigration policy.
