President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping new travel proclamation barring citizens from 12 countries—including Chad, Congo, Afghanistan, and Iran—from entering the United States. The restriction, set to take effect on June 9, 2025, revives and expands Trump’s earlier travel ban policy, citing concerns over terrorism, poor vetting systems, and lack of cooperation from foreign governments on security issues.
In addition to the outright bans, partial travel restrictions will be imposed on citizens of eight other countries, including Cuba, Venezuela, and Togo. Exemptions apply in limited cases, such as athletes participating in international competitions and certain dual nationals. The White House stated that the decision follows a security review of countries with high visa overstay rates, poor identity verification systems, and unreliable criminal records databases.
Trump defended the move as essential to national safety, stating, “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen.” The announcement marks a continuation of Trump’s tough immigration stance since the beginning of his second term, echoing his first-term travel ban, which faced widespread criticism before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018 and later repealed by President Biden in 2021.
