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The Trump Administration has announced a sweeping travel ban targeting nationals from 19 countries, citing national security threats and other concerns.
Some shit you should know before you read: Back in 2017, during his first term, President Trump issued a controversial travel ban that restricted entry into the United States from several majority-Muslim countries, including Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad, and later additions like North Korea and certain Venezuelan officials. Officially framed as a national security measure, the administration argued the ban was necessary to prevent the entry of individuals from countries deemed to have inadequate vetting systems and potential ties to terrorism. The initial executive order faced multiple legal challenges and public protests, but a revised version—Proclamation 9645—was ultimately upheld by the US Supreme Court in Trump v. Hawaii (2018), which ruled that the president had broad authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to restrict entry for foreign nationals in the interest of national security. Despite this, critics condemned the policy as discriminatory and unconstitutional, dubbing it the “Muslim Ban,” while the administration maintained it was a necessary step to protect American citizens.
What’s going on now: In a notable development, President Trump announced a broad expansion of travel restrictions on foreign nationals from 19 countries, citing persistent national security concerns. The proclamation, which takes effect on June 9, 2025, imposes full entry bans on 12 countries and partial restrictions on seven others. Nations facing a total suspension of immigrant and nonimmigrant travel include Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The seven countries subject to partial restrictions—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—will see limits on specific visa categories, particularly those related to tourism, education, and immigration.
The administration justified these measures based on high visa overstay rates, lack of adequate identity verification and screening systems, refusal to accept back nationals ordered removed from the US, and weak cooperation in sharing law enforcement and threat information. For example, countries like Equatorial Guinea and Chad were flagged for their extraordinarily high overstay rates, while others like Iran and Cuba were noted for their designation as state sponsors of terrorism.
Despite the sweeping nature of the restrictions, the order does include a series of exceptions. Lawful permanent residents, holders of valid US visas issued before the effective date, and individuals traveling under certain diplomatic or special visa categories will not be affected. The proclamation also allows case-by-case waivers for individuals whose entry is deemed to be in the national interest of the United States.
