Trump's Travel Ban on 12 Countries Goes Into Effect Early Monday

Sunday 08 June 2025 - 13:06

By: Zahouani Ilham

Trump's Travel Ban on 12 Countries Goes Into Effect Early Monday

In a renewed move to restrict immigration, U.S. President Donald Trump's latest travel ban officially comes into force at 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday. The directive prohibits citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States, citing concerns over national security and the threat of terrorism.

The countries now facing full travel restrictions include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additionally, partial restrictions have been imposed on seven more nations: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

President Trump justified the ban by pointing to what he described as systemic issues in these nations, such as the presence of terrorist networks, poor cooperation with U.S. visa security procedures, failure to confirm traveler identities, and insufficient records on criminal histories and visa overstays.

He also referenced a recent incident in Boulder, Colorado, where an Egyptian national threw a gasoline bomb at a pro-Israel rally, using it as an example of the dangers posed by foreign extremists though Egypt is not included in the ban.

The new policy echoes a similar travel ban from Trump’s first term that targeted several Muslim-majority countries. It has sparked criticism and concern in affected nations. Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno responded by suspending visa issuance for U.S. citizens, emphasizing national dignity over diplomacy. Meanwhile, Afghans who had collaborated with U.S. agencies expressed fear of being forced to return home and face potential retaliation from the Taliban.