Trump bans citizens of 12 countries from travelling to the US

Donald Trump enacted a proclamation restricting entry into the United States for citizens of 12 countries. He further indicated that additional countries would face partial travel restrictions. The decision, he explained, was based on concerns related to national security.

US President Donald Trump speaks from the Truman balcony during a Summer soiree on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation that bans individuals from 12 countries from entering the US, reinstating one of the most controversial and defining measures from his first term in the wake of an attack in Boulder, Colorado, that targeted a march in support of Israeli hostages. Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
US President Donald Trump speaks from the Truman balcony during a Summer soiree on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation that bans individuals from 12 countries from entering the US, reinstating one of the most controversial and defining measures from his first term in the wake of an attack in Boulder, Colorado, that targeted a march in support of Israeli hostages. Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Images source: © GETTY | Bloomberg

The list of countries with full travel bans includes: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The ban applies to the residents who are outside the United States on June 9 and/or do not possess a valid visa on that date.

Citizens from seven other countries are subjected to partial travel restrictions. Immigrants and people with temporary visas from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will be denied entry to the US.

The signing of the proclamation is the next step for the Trump administration in its crackdown on illegal immigration. The officials are conveying that the ban aims to ensure safety and shield the US from "foreign terrorists." President Trump stated on TruthSocial, "We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm. [...] 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." 

During his initial term, President Trump introduced a travel ban targeting seven predominantly Muslim countries. This policy underwent multiple revisions before ultimately being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.

When President Joe Biden took office after Trump, he rescinded the ban in 2021. The reversal affected nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen as Biden described the original measure as "a stain on our national conscience."

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