US President Donald Trump has signed a new travel ban restricting entry to the United States from 12 countries, citing national security concerns. This marks the second time Trump has issued such a ban, the first being during his initial term in 2017.
The new proclamation bans travel from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additionally, nationals from seven other countries Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela face partial travel restrictions.
The ban is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday, allowing a smoother implementation than the abrupt 2017 order that caused chaos at US airports. The White House described these measures as “common sense restrictions” designed to “protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors.”
Trump pointed to a recent incident in Boulder, Colorado, where an alleged terror attack injured 12 people, as justification for the ban. The accused attacker was identified as an Egyptian national, and Trump claimed the event underscored the risks posed by inadequately vetted foreign nationals.
Reactions to the ban have been mixed and swift. Somalia, one of the affected countries, expressed willingness to cooperate with the US on security issues, with Somali Ambassador Dahir Hassan Abdi emphasizing the importance of the bilateral relationship. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello criticized the US, warning that being in America poses risks for all, not just Venezuelans.
Domestically, Democrats condemned the ban, viewing it as an extension of Trump’s controversial “Muslim ban” from 2017. Representative Pramila Jayapal called it a move that would further isolate the US globally, while Congressman Don Beyer accused Trump of betraying American founding ideals.
The 2017 ban initially targeted seven Muslim-majority countries and faced significant backlash, ultimately being revised and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. President Joe Biden repealed the ban in 2021, labeling it “a stain on our national conscience.” As Trump’s latest order is expected to face legal challenges, its future impact remains uncertain.
