Washington– U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a sweeping proclamation banning nationals from 12 countries from entering the United States, citing threats posed by “foreign terrorists” and national security risks. The new restrictions will take effect on June 9, 2025, at 12:01 am EDT, and do not revoke visas issued prior to that date.
The countries facing a full ban include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. In addition, entry from seven other nations—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—will face partial restrictions. These developments were first reported by CBS News.
“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” Trump said in a video message posted on X, adding that the list of countries may be revised in the future as new threats emerge.
The move is part of Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration during his second term in office. It mirrors the controversial travel ban he instituted during his first term, which targeted several Muslim-majority nations and was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. That ban was later repealed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
According to the proclamation, the countries subject to the strictest restrictions were identified based on a “large-scale presence of terrorists,” failure to cooperate with U.S. visa and security systems, inability to verify traveler identities, insufficient record-keeping of criminal histories, and high rates of visa overstays.
Trump pointed to a recent incident in Boulder, Colorado, in which Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly threw a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators, as an example of the kind of threat the policy is intended to counter. Soliman, who was charged in the attack, had overstayed his tourist visa and was in the country with an expired work permit. Egypt, however, is not among the nations on the restricted list.
The Somali government responded by expressing readiness to work with the U.S. to address the concerns raised. “Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue,” Somali Ambassador Dahir Hassan Abdi said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello criticized the U.S. government, calling it fascist and warning Venezuelans that being in the United States now posed a significant risk.
Trump’s directive follows a January 20 executive order mandating heightened security vetting of foreign nationals seeking entry into the U.S. The order instructed key cabinet members to recommend a list of countries for full or partial travel suspensions based on deficiencies in vetting and screening capabilities.
Reuters had reported in March that the Trump administration was evaluating the possibility of restricting travel from dozens of countries as part of the immigration overhaul.