by Temitope Oladeji
05/6/2025
President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order citing national security concerns. The order places a full travel ban on citizens from 12 countries and imposes additional travel restrictions on seven more.
According to the White House, the order was signed on Wednesday and will take effect on Monday, June 9, 2025.
Visas issued before that date will remain valid and will not be revoked.
“To protect the national security and interests of the United States and its people, I must act,” President Trump stated in a video address.
He pointed to a recent violent incident at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, as evidence of the risks posed by foreign nationals who have not been thoroughly vetted.
“The recent attack highlighted the very real dangers associated with allowing individuals into our country without proper screening,” Trump said.
“We will not let what has happened in Europe happen in America.”
The President added, “We cannot allow entry from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet those seeking to come here. We will not admit individuals who intend to do us harm.”
The White House echoed these sentiments in an official statement, naming several countries affected by the new directive.
“That is why today I am signing an executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and others,” the statement read.
Countries Facing Full Travel Ban:
- Afghanistan
- Chad
- Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Myanmar
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
Countries Facing Additional Travel Restrictions:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
This move is reminiscent of Trump’s highly controversial 2017 travel ban in his first term, which initially targeted several Muslim-majority nations, including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
That earlier policy drew widespread protests, legal challenges, and accusations of religious discrimination. A revised version of the ban was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018.
While critics continue to raise concerns over the underlying motives of such measures, the Trump administration maintains that the policy is purely based on national security concerns, not religious affiliation.