Trump Signs Sweeping New Travel Ban: 12 Nations Blocked, 7 Partially Restricted

President Donald Trump signed a sweeping proclamation Wednesday evening, barring travel to the United States from several countries he cited as security risks.

The ban will fully restrict entry for nationals from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Citizens from seven additional countries will face partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The proclamation outlines exceptions for lawful permanent residents, current visa holders, certain visa categories, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests.

According to a White House official, Trump decided to sign the proclamation after an antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, though he had been considering it beforehand.

“President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors who want to come to our country and do us harm,” said White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson on X.

“These commonsense restrictions are country-specific and include nations that lack proper vetting, exhibit high visa overstay rates, or fail to share critical identity and threat information,” she added.

In a video posted Wednesday, Trump warned that the travel ban could be expanded in the future.

“The list is subject to revision based on whether material improvements are made,” Trump said. “Likewise, new countries can be added as threats emerge, but we will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm. Nothing will stop us from keeping America safe.”

The new ban takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on June 9, according to the White House.

Wednesday’s move comes less than five months into Trump’s term. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order directing the secretary of state and other cabinet officials to compile a list of countries with inadequate vetting and screening processes—criteria that could lead to full or partial bans.

During his first term, Trump famously barred travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations, a move that faced legal challenges before President Joe Biden rescinded it in 2021.

The inclusion of Afghanistan in the new ban could have a devastating impact on Afghans who worked alongside the U.S. during its two-decade war there. Tens of thousands are already in limbo due to other Trump-era executive orders that suspended the U.S. refugee admissions program and foreign aid for Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) flights.

Shawn Vandiver, founder of #AfghanEvac—a leading U.S. coalition of resettlement and veterans’ groups—criticized the ban as “disproportionately affecting families and individuals seeking lawful entry into the U.S.”

“This is a strategic move, not a response to an immediate threat,” Vandiver said in a statement.

Governments of impacted countries also voiced their disapproval. Venezuela’s Minister of Interior, Justice, and Peace warned on state television that the U.S. is “a big risk for anyone, not just Venezuelans.”

“If you’re really that foolish, then go to the United States,” said Diosdado Cabello, according to Reuters.

Oxfam condemned the proclamation, calling it “a chilling return to policies of fear, discrimination, and division.”

“This ban will deny entry to the U.S. for individuals and families fleeing war and persecution, forcing them to remain in dangerous conditions,” said Abby Maxman, Oxfam America’s President and CEO.