President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order enforcing a complete travel ban on citizens from 12 nations and implementing tighter entry restrictions on individuals from seven other nations.
The countries now facing a total ban are Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Meanwhile, more stringent entry rules will apply to citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
“I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” President Trump stated in the order. The directive is set to be enforced starting at 12:01 a.m. local time in Washington, D.C., on Monday, June 9, 2025.
Visas that were already issued before that date will remain valid and won’t be canceled.
In a video message released by the White House, President Trump linked the new policy to a recent attack during a rally in Boulder, Colorado, which he said highlighted the risks of allowing foreign nationals into the U.S. without thorough background checks.
He stated that “millions and millions of these illegals should not be in our country” and stressed, “We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America,” citing concerns about migrants from countries where U.S. officials are unable to “safely and reliably vet and screen” applicants.
“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” he concluded.