In a sweeping new immigration directive, U.S. President Donald Trump has officially enacted a proclamation on Wednesday night that prohibits citizens from a dozen nations from entering the United States.
The directive, which takes effect on June 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT (5:01 a.m. Nigerian time), places full travel restrictions on individuals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition to these 12 nations, the order places partial restrictions on nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
According to the signed proclamation, this measure is part of President Trump’s continued effort to enhance national security and mitigate threats allegedly posed by individuals from high-risk regions. Speaking in a video message posted on his official X account, Trump emphasized, “We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm.”
He stated that the list of countries could be reviewed and expanded depending on evolving intelligence reports and security assessments.
The proclamation targets nations considered to host “a significant presence of terrorist organizations” or those deemed non-compliant with U.S. visa verification processes. Trump further criticized these countries for insufficient data sharing, poor criminal record documentation, unreliable traveler identification, and a high incidence of visa overstays.
Trump justified the ban by saying, “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States.”
This new policy aligns with the broader immigration crackdown Trump launched during the onset of his second term, which aims to curtail entry from places including Gaza, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and other areas deemed hostile to U.S. national interests.
In an earlier executive order dated January 20, 2025, Trump instructed several key federal departments to compile a list of nations whose travelers should be either partially or entirely banned due to what he described as “deficient” vetting systems.
This isn’t Trump’s first foray into controversial immigration policy. During his first term, he introduced a travel ban affecting seven Muslim-majority countries, a move that sparked widespread protests and legal battles before it was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. The order was later overturned by former President Joe Biden in 2021, who called the policy “a stain on our national conscience.”
