President Donald Trump announced a sweeping travel ban and restrictions targeting citizens from 19 countries, set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, June 9, 2025.
The proclamation, which revives a controversial policy from his first term, fully restricts entry from 12 nations and imposes partial limitations on seven others, citing national security concerns.
This move follows an executive order issued on January 20, 2025, directing the departments of State and Homeland Security, along with the Director of National Intelligence, to identify countries with deficient vetting and screening processes.
According to the Associated Press, the countries facing a complete travel ban include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Seven additional countries—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—will face heightened restrictions, such as suspensions of certain visa programs, though not outright bans.
The policy aims to address issues like high visa overstay rates, inadequate screening, and failure to cooperate on deportations, with Haiti specifically noted for its high overstay rates and significant illegal migration during the previous administration.
Trump justified the ban by referencing a recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1, 2025, where an Egyptian national, who had overstayed a tourist visa, was charged.
Although Egypt is not on the restricted list, Trump used the incident to underscore the risks of inadequate vetting and visa overstays.
The Associated Press reports that the administration’s decision is supported by an annual Homeland Security report highlighting countries with high visa overstay rates, as well as concerns about terrorism and insufficient identity verification.
This policy echoes Trump’s 2017 travel ban, which targeted predominantly Muslim countries and faced significant legal challenges before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Critics, including former President Joe Biden, who repealed the original ban in 2021, have called it discriminatory.
The Associated Press notes that ten of the 19 countries in the new ban are in Africa, nine of which are majority-Black, raising concerns about the policy’s implications despite Trump’s defense that it is driven by national security, not bias.
The proclamation allows for revisions if countries improve their vetting processes and includes exemptions, such as for U.S. permanent residents.
Unlike the 2017 ban, which caused widespread chaos at airports due to its abrupt implementation, the 2025 ban provides a brief cushion period to mitigate disruptions.
Legal challenges are anticipated, but the Supreme Court’s prior ruling may strengthen the administration’s position. For further details, follow the Associated Press coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump.
