Trump Announces Travel Ban and Restrictions on 19 Countries Set to Go into Effect Monday

Washington. President Donald Trump on Wednesday resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term, announcing that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions.
The ban takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m., a cushion that avoids the chaos that unfolded at airports nationwide when a similar measure took effect with virtually no notice in 2017. Trump, who signaled plans for a new ban upon taking office in January, appears to be on firmer ground this time after the Supreme Court sided with him.
Some, but not all, 12 countries also appeared on the list of banned countries in Trump's first term. The new ban includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
There will be heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
In a video released on social media, Trump tied the new ban to Sunday's terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. The suspect in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump’s restricted list. The Department of Homeland Security says he overstayed a tourist visa.
Trump said some countries had “deficient” screening and vetting or have historically refused to take back their own citizens. His findings rely extensively on an annual Homeland Security report of visa overstays of tourists, business visitors, and students who arrive by air and sea, singling out countries with high percentages of remaining after their visas expired.
“I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” he said in his proclamation.
The inclusion of Afghanistan angered some supporters who have worked to resettle its people. The ban makes exceptions for Afghans on Special Immigrant Visas, generally people who worked most closely with the US government during the two-decade-long war there.
“To include Afghanistan -- a nation whose people stood alongside American service members for 20 years -- is a moral disgrace. It spits in the face of our allies, our veterans, and every value we claim to uphold,” said Shawn VanDiver, president and board chairman of #AfghanEvac.
Trump wrote that Afghanistan “lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents, and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.” He also cited its visa overstay rates.
Haiti, which avoided the travel ban during Trump’s first term, was also included for high overstay rates and large numbers who came to the United States illegally. Haitians continue to flee poverty and hunger as political instability deepens while police and a UN-backed mission fight a surge in gang violence, with armed men controlling at least 85 percent of its capital, Port-au-Prince.
“Haiti lacks a central authority with sufficient availability and dissemination of law enforcement information necessary to ensure its nationals do not undermine the national security of the United States,” Trump wrote.
The ban comes after Trump suspended refugee resettlement, stranding thousands of people, many who sold their possessions and had plane tickets in hand. In the 12-month period through September 2024, nearly 20,000 people came to the US as refugees from the Republic of Congo, the single largest nationality of overall arrivals. Afghanistan was a close second with roughly 14,000.
The travel ban results from a Jan. 20 executive order Trump issued requiring the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on “hostile attitudes” toward the US and whether entry from certain countries represented a national security risk.
During his first term, Trump issued an executive order in January 2017 banning travel to the US by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries -- Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen.
It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Travelers from those nations were either barred from getting on their flights to the US or detained at US airports after they landed. They included students and faculty as well as businesspeople, tourists, and people visiting friends and family.
The order, often referred to as the “Muslim ban” or the “travel ban,” was retooled amid legal challenges until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
The ban affected various categories of travelers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.
Trump and others have defended the initial ban on national security grounds, arguing it was aimed at protecting the country and not founded on anti-Muslim bias. However, the president had called for an explicit ban on Muslims during his first campaign for the White House.
Tags: Keywords:Related Articles
Trump's New Travel Ban Takes Effect Amid Escalating Tension Over Immigration Enforcement
Many immigration experts say the new ban is designed to beat any court challenge by focusing on the visa application process.Chad Announces Suspension of Visas to US Citizens in Response to Trump Travel Ban
“Chad has no planes to offer, no billions of dollars to give, but Chad has his dignity and pride,” Deby said.Trump Announces Travel Ban and Restrictions on 19 Countries Set to Go into Effect Monday
The ban includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.Anger Against Trump Forecast to Cost the US International Visitors
The US Travel Association, a trade group, has also warned about Canadians staying away.Trump to Announce 25% Steel and Aluminum Tariffs and More Import Duties Are Coming
Tariffs are coming much earlier in his presidency than during his previous four years in the White House.Marco Rubio Warns China Is America's 'Biggest Threat'
He received a warm welcome from both sides of the aisle, making jokes about how “surreal” it was to be on the other side of the dais.The Latest
Bloody Brawl Erupts at Cockfighting Arena in Bali, Leaving One Dead
Cockfighting, known locally as tajen, is a traditional but controversial practice in Bali.Military Parade Rolls Through DC as 'No Kings' Protesters across US Decry Trump
About 6 in 10 Americans said Saturday’s parade was “not a good use” of government money.Hard Rain, Harder Rock: The SIGIT Ignites Semesta Berpesta in Soaked Bandung Night
The SIGIT lit up a rain-soaked Semesta Berpesta in Bandung, with fans moshing in ponchos and singing through the drizzle.Air India Crash Death Toll Rises to 270
Air India crash death toll climbs to 270 as search teams recover more bodies; investigators analyze black box for crash clues.Australian Man Killed, Another Injured in Bali Villa Shooting
An Australian man was killed and another wounded after a gunman broke into their villa in Bali's Badung regency early Saturday morning.Most Popular
