United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening signed a proclamation banning nationals from 12 countries from entering the U.S.
The countries affected include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Trump signs new travel ban on citizens from 19 countries.
Full ban (12 countries):
Afghanistan, Iran, Burma (Myanmar), Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, North Korea, Venezuela, Sudan, TanzaniaPartial restrictions (7 countries):
Cuba, Haiti, Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan,… pic.twitter.com/eUH7bSmRzW— Mayin (@MayinPuri) June 5, 2025
According to the proclamation, citizens of these countries will face full restrictions on entry into the United States.
In addition, entry for nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will be partially restricted.
The directive is scheduled to take effect from 12:01 a.m. EDT (5:01 a.m. Nigerian time) on 9 June 2025.
President Trump said the measure is aimed at safeguarding the U.S. against “foreign terrorists” and other national security threats.
“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” Trump stated in a video message shared on social media platform X.
He added that the list of affected countries could be revised in future, with new countries possibly added.
Trump said countries subject to the most severe restrictions were those assessed to have a “large-scale presence of terrorists”. Others, he alleged, were uncooperative on visa security, unable to verify travellers’ identities, maintained inadequate criminal records, or recorded high rates of visa overstays.
“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,” he said.
Also Read: Trump Suspends Student Visa Appointments Ahead of Stricter Social Media Screening
This latest directive forms part of an ongoing immigration crackdown launched by Trump at the start of his second term, which includes plans to restrict entry from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and “anywhere else that threatens our security”.
On 20 January, Trump signed an executive order mandating more rigorous security vetting for all foreign nationals seeking entry into the U.S. to detect potential national security risks.
The order required several cabinet members to provide a list of countries whose travel should be partially or fully suspended due to inadequate vetting and screening procedures.
During his first term, Trump had introduced a controversial travel ban affecting citizens from seven countries a policy that was challenged but ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018.
However, his successor, former President Joe Biden, repealed the ban in 2021, describing it as “a stain on our national conscience”.
