US President Donald Trump signed a new order on Wednesday banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States. The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Moreover, the entry of people from seven other countries — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela — will be partially restricted.
The ban takes effect on June 9, 2025 (Monday) at 12:01 am EDT (0401 GMT).
Who does the travel ban apply to?
The proclamation stated that the full and partial travel bans apply to foreign nationals of the designated countries who:
> Are outside the United States on June 9, and
> Do not have a valid visa on June 9
What happens to visas granted before June 9?
The order stated that visas issued before June 9 will not be revoked. No immigrant or non-immigrant visa issued before June 9 “shall be revoked pursuant to this proclamation,” the proclamation stated.
Exceptions to the travel ban include:
> Any lawful permanent resident of the United States
> Diplomats traveling on valid non-immigrant visas
> Athletes or members of an athletic team and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event
> Immediate family immigrant visas
> Afghan Special Immigrant Visas
> Special Immigrant Visas for United States government employees
> Immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran
Why did the US impose a ban on these countries?
Trump reportedly said the move was needed to protect against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats. The directive is part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, Reuters reported.
“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” Trump said in a video posted on X. He said the list could be revised and new countries could be added.
For some countries, such as Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Venezuela, the proclamation claimed that there is no reliable central authority for issuing passports or screening and vetting nationals traveling out of the country, the Guardian reported.
For other countries, such as Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Burundi, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo and Turkmenistan, the proclamation cites a high rate of immigrants overstaying their visas in the US.
Besides, several other countries were included because of terrorist activity or state- sponsored terrorism. These included Iran, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Iran and Cuba.
(With inputs from agencies)
