Donald Trump’s sweeping new travel ban is officially in effect, blocking entry to the United States for nationals of 12 countries across four continents.
The controversial policy kicked in on Monday (June 9), with the president claiming it was built on “common sense restrictions” aimed at “protecting Americans from dangerous foreign actors," per Metro.
The list includes the fully banned countries, which are Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
It also includes the countries with heightened restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Citizens holding passports from the 12 fully banned nations will be denied entry starting today. While those from the seven additional countries face partial restrictions, the extent depends on specific visa categories and background checks.
“Very simply, we cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen,” Trump said in a statement.
The 78-year-old's first travel ban, which was announced in 2017, focused on seven Muslim-majority nations. The announcement triggered widespread protests and legal battles before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Trump defended the move by citing national security concerns. “It is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes,” he said.
Last week, he doubled down, claiming the newly banned countries pose “terrorism-related” and “public-safety” risks, and accused them of having “deficient” vetting systems or refusing to accept deported nationals, per The Guardian.
He also linked the ban to a recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, involving a suspect who overstayed a tourist visa, even though the suspect was from Egypt, a country not on the restricted list.
Though met with less uproar than Trump’s first ban, the latest policy has sparked strong criticism. Human rights organizations have called it discriminatory, while foreign policy analysts warn of lasting diplomatic damage.
“This policy is not about national security – it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,” said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America.
Mikhail Nyamweya, a political and foreign affairs analyst, said in an interview that the disproportionate impact on African nations would "institutionalize a perception of Africans as outsiders in the global order".
Critics also noted that although the list now includes some non-Muslim countries, such as Haiti and Myanmar, the ban disproportionately affects non-white nations in the developing world, renewing accusations that Trump’s immigration policies are rooted in “bigotry.”
Unlike the 2017 version, the new ban contains a specific exemption for athletes and staff attending “major sporting events” such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles and the 2028 Olympic Games co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Athletes, coaches, support teams, and immediate family members will be allowed to enter, but fans from banned countries will not. This raises concerns about empty stands and logistical hurdles for international teams.
Nicole Hoevertsz, vice president of the International Olympic Committee and chair of the LA28 coordination commission, said organizers had been assured by federal officials that “participants will be able to enter the country".
Meanwhile, US consular officials clarified that previously issued visas will remain valid, but new applications from citizens of banned countries will be automatically denied unless applicants meet very narrow exemption criteria.
Trump stated that the list is subject to revision. Countries could be added or removed depending on their cooperation with U.S. security vetting standards.
Former President Joe Biden had repealed Trump’s earlier bans in 2021, calling them “a stain on our national conscience," but Trump insists his order "successfully prevented national security threats from reaching our borders".