Trump Imposes New Travel Ban On 12 Countries

Key Point- There are also severe restrictions for seven additional nations. The current administration has announced a travel ban on citizens entering the US from 12 countries, along with severe restrictions on those travelling from seven additional nations, which will take effect on June 9. Here is what you need to know.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced a travel ban on citizens entering the US from 12 countries, along with severe restrictions on those travelling from seven additional nations. According to the announcement by the White House, nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen are banned from entering the United States, effective 12:01 A.M. on June 9.

Those from Burundi, Cuba, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will also face heightened restrictions. "In Exclusive Order 14161 of January 20, 2025, I stated that it is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes," Trump shared in the announcement. "I also stated that the United States must be vigilant during the visa-issuance process to ensure that those aliens approved for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans or our national interests."

For Americans, the US State Department maintains a "Do Not Travel" list of travel advisories. Of the travel ban nations, several countries have a Level 4 travel rating: Afghanistan, Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Venezuela, and Yemen. That said, the travel advisory is a suggestion, and the US government does not ban Americans from entering the countries mentioned earlier.

According to the Associated Press, many of the countries on the new ban list were also included in Trump's travel ban during his first term. The AP also reported that Trump shared an additional message on social media tying the travel ban to a terrorist attack in Colorado on Sunday, in which a man threw a gasoline bomb into a gathering of pro-Israel demonstrators. However, the suspect in that incident is Egyptian, which does not appear on this new list of banned countries.

Several aid groups have already condemned the ban, with Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, telling the AP, "The policy is not about national security; it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States."

Shawn Van Diver the president and board chairman of #AfghanEvac a non profit assisting in the resettlement of Afghans in the United States shared in a statement with multiple outlets that while the Trump administration has made an exception for special immigrant visas for Afghans who the US government employed, that still leaves tens of thousands of Afghans with pending cases especially family members, will now be blocked rom reaching safety regardless of their loyalty to the United States or prior vetting." He added, "To include Afghanistan, a nation whose people stood alongside American service members for 20 years, is a moral disgrace. It spots in the face of our allies, our veterans, and every value we claim to uphold."

Some nations also appear unfazed about the ban or restrictions. Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela's Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, shared on local television that travelling to or being in the US" is a considerable risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans. They persecute our countrymen, our people, for no reason." Cabello added, "If you are that foolish, then go to the United States."

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