President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that imposes a full travel ban on individuals from 12 countries and introduces heightened restrictions for citizens of seven additional countries, according to a statement from the White House.
The countries affected by the travel ban include Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition to these restrictions, citizens from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will face increased barriers when seeking entry into the United States.
President Trump justified the order by stating, “I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people.”
The new travel directive is set to take effect on Monday, June 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. local time in Washington, D.C., which corresponds to 04:01 GMT.
Importantly, the order specifies that visas issued prior to the effective date will remain valid and will not be revoked.
In a video message distributed by the White House, President Trump remarked that the recent attack on a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, highlighted the severe risks posed by foreign nationals who have not been properly vetted.
He mentioned, “There are millions and millions of these illegals who should not be in our country.”
He went on to emphasize, “We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America,” stressing the importance of stringent migration controls from countries where vetting processes are insufficient.
The President assured that access will not be granted to individuals intending to harm the U.S.
Concerns over the potential consequences of the travel ban have been raised by the African Union Commission, which warned of adverse effects on educational exchanges, commercial interactions, and broader diplomatic relationships.
The Commission urged the U.S. administration to engage in a more consultative approach and constructive dialogue with the affected countries in its statement.
This travel ban is reminiscent of previous measures taken by President Trump during his initial term in 2017 when he issued an executive order barring entry into the U.S. for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim nations: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
The earlier travel restrictions led to confusion and legal challenges, with individuals from those countries either barred from boarding flights to the U.S. or detained upon arrival at American airports. Those impacted included tourists, family members, students, and business travelers.
This order, commonly referred to as the “Muslim ban” or “travel ban,” underwent several revisions amid legal disputes until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018 involving selective categories of travelers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Libya, as well as individuals from North Korea and certain Venezuelan government officials and their families.
While defending his initial travel ban on national security grounds, Trump claimed that the measures were designed to safeguard the U.S., consistently denying any anti-Muslim sentiment.
However, he had previously called for a travel ban specifically targeting Muslims during his campaign for the presidency.
Additionally, on the same day, Trump issued another executive order suspending entry for foreign nationals wishing to study or take part in programs at Harvard University.
He criticized the esteemed institution for having a “history of concerning foreign ties and radicalism,” which led to the new directive.
The order mandates that the U.S. State Department consider revoking academic or exchange visas for any Harvard students who fall within specified criteria.
Recently, the State Department had already instructed its consular missions worldwide to implement extra vetting for visa applicants intending to travel to Harvard for any reason, according to an internal communication obtained by Reuters.
Harvard has publicly accused the Trump administration of retaliating against the university for its refusal to comply with efforts to control governance, curriculum, and faculty ideology.
These visa restrictions came on the heels of prior actions freezing billions in grants and funding to Harvard, as well as attempts to revoke its tax-exempt status and an investigation into alleged discrimination against various employee demographics.
Last month saw an attempt by the administration to limit Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students; however, that initiative faced a judicial roadblock in a Boston federal court.
Trump’s latest executive order, however, utilizes a different legal framework, as reported by the Associated Press.
image source from：https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/5/trump-announces-travel-ban-on-people-from-12-countries
