Starting Monday, June 9, President Donald Trump signed a fresh proclamation prohibiting travelers from 12 nations and putting partial restrictions on tourists from seven more. Justified by the White House as essential to combat national security risks and terrorism threats, the law focuses on countries thought to have poor screening and vetting processes.
Under the complete travel restriction are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela are subject to the partial restrictions.
In a video statement, Trump used a recent Colorado firebombing incident, allegedly committed by a man from Egypt—a nation not included in the prohibition—as evidence of the bigger threat posed by foreign visa overstayers.
The government made clear that certain exceptions still exist, mostly for Afghan citizens with unique immigrant visas for labor done on behalf of the United States. However, critics—including resettlement proponent Shawn VanDiver—claim the strategy may prevent tens of thousands of vetted Afghans and their families from reaching safety.
This executive decision brings back contentious travel restrictions first started under Trump’s first term. Originally released in 2017, the first iteration prohibited admission from some Muslim-majority nations, which caused lawsuits and enormous demonstrations. Though President Joe Biden overturned the prohibition on his first day in office in 2021, Trump’s return to the White House has brought it back in a wider form.
