Cover image via Leah Millis/Reuters
In a move that harks back to his first term, US President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping proclamation banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the US, citing national security concerns
The new travel ban is set to take effect on 9 June 2025, and has already drawn criticism for disproportionately affecting Muslim-majority and developing nations, reported Reuters.
The proclamation bars citizens from:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
Meanwhile, partial restrictions apply to travellers from:
- Venezuela
- Cuba
- Laos
- Burundi
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
Trump claims the ban is necessary to "protect against foreign terrorists" and cited countries that fail to meet "basic security standards", such as poor ID verification systems and high rates of visa overstays
"We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the US," Trump said in a video on X.
He also cited a recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, involving an Egyptian national — which is not in the list of banned countries — as proof of lax visa enforcement.
This new travel ban follows Trump's January executive order ramping up vetting procedures. It also revives memories of his 2017 "Muslim ban", which was eventually upheld by the US Supreme Court but was later overturned by Joe Biden in 2021.
