U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation prohibiting the entry of nationals from 12 countries into the United States. Trump asserted that this measure is essential to protect against “foreign terrorists” and other national security threats.
This directive is part of an ongoing immigration crackdown initiated by Trump at the commencement of his second term this year. Previous actions have included the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of gang affiliation to El Salvador, as well as efforts to deny enrollment to some foreign students and deport others.
The countries now subject to a full travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Additionally, entry for individuals from seven other nations—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—will face partial restrictions.
“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” Trump declared in a video message posted on X. He indicated that the list is subject to revision and new countries could be added.
The proclamation is scheduled to take effect on June 9, 2025, at 12:01 am EDT (0401 GMT). The order clarifies that visas issued before this effective date will not be revoked.
A map visually depicts the nations whose nationals are now either fully or partially restricted from entering the United States.
During his initial term, Trump had previously announced a travel ban targeting seven Muslim-majority nations. This policy underwent several modifications before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Former President Joe Biden, a Democrat who succeeded Trump, rescinded that ban on nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen in 2021, describing it as “a stain on our national conscience.”
Trump justified the current list by stating that these countries are determined to harbor a “large-scale presence of terrorists,” fail to cooperate on visa security, lack the ability to verify travelers’ identities, maintain inadequate records of criminal histories, and exhibit high rates of visa overstays in the United States.
“We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States,” Trump emphasized.
He cited Sunday’s incident in Boulder, Colorado, where a man threw a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators, as an example illustrating the necessity of these new restrictions.
An Egyptian national, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, has been charged in connection with that attack. Federal officials noted that Soliman had overstayed his tourist visa and possessed an expired work permit – though Egypt is not included in the list of countries facing travel limits.
Being in the U.S. Poses ‘Big Risk’
Somalia promptly pledged to collaborate with the U.S. to address the security concerns raised.
“Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised,” stated Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the United States.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a close ally of President Nicolas Maduro, responded Wednesday evening by labeling the U.S. government as fascist and cautioning Venezuelans about residing in the U.S.
“The truth is being in the United States is a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans… They persecute our countrymen, our people for no reason.”
A spokesperson for the Taliban-led Afghan foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Pakistan’s foreign ministry also did not immediately reply to a request for comment on how it would manage the thousands of Afghans awaiting U.S. resettlement in Islamabad.
Calls placed early Thursday to the spokesperson of Myanmar’s military government went unanswered. The foreign ministry of Laos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump campaigned on a rigorous border strategy and outlined his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict individuals from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and “anywhere else that threatens our security.”
On January 20, 2025, Trump issued an executive order mandating intensified security vetting for all foreign nationals seeking admission to the U.S. to detect national security threats. That order instructed several cabinet members to submit a list of countries from which travel should be partially or fully suspended due to “deficient” vetting and screening information.
The latest travel restrictions were initially reported by CBS News.
In March, Reuters reported that the Trump administration was considering travel restrictions on dozens of countries.
