Donald Trump has issued an executive order that enforces a travel ban on citizens from 12 countries and places partial restrictions on travelers from seven additional nations.
The order, effective on Monday, restricts entry from Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, and Haiti.
Additionally, partial restrictions will apply to visitors from Cuba, Venezuela, Laos, Sierra Leone, Turkmenistan, and Togo.
The US president justified the move by referencing to the recent terror attack on a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, which was allegedly carried out by an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa.
"We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen... That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others." –President Trump pic.twitter.com/ER7nGM4TO2
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 4, 2025
"We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm," Mr Trump said.
"We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen... That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others,” he added.
Mr Trump emphasised the need for stronger vetting processes to protect Americans from potential threats and indicated that further measures may be implemented to address national security concerns.
The executive order, titled Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats, directs federal agencies to enhance screening and vetting procedures for all foreign nationals seeking to enter the US.
The action revives elements of Trump’s "Muslim ban" from his first tenure as President, which faced legal challenges and was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018, and he new restrictions are expected to face similar scrutiny.
Those targeted in that initial ban were Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.
Mr Trump described this move as a "key part of preventing major foreign terror attacks on American soil".
The ban, which comes into force on June 9, will not include athletes set to compete in the upcoming 2026 Fifa World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
Mr Trump said the ban will be reviewed after 180 days to determine if it should be "continued, terminated, modified, or supplemented".
The ban will undoubtedly face legal challenges in the coming months and could be deemed illegal, as his so-called “Muslim ban” was.
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