Trump Restricts Entry From 12 Nations Over National Security Concerns

Updated june 5,2025

President Donald Trump has issued a proclamation to “fully restrict and limit” the entry of ‍individuals from 12 foreign ‍nations,effective Monday at 12:01 a.m. ⁣EDT. The move,‍ citing national security, impacts Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Additionally, the order places partial restrictions on entry from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra ⁤Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Ten of the 19 nations affected are located in Africa.

The proclamation differentiates between immigrants and non-immigrants,applying restrictions to both groups. Exceptions are in place for lawful permanent ‍residents, current visa holders, specific visa categories, and⁢ those whose ⁣entry aligns with U.S.‍ national interests.

Trump addressed the new restrictions in a video posted on Truth Social. “The list is subject to revision based on whether material improvements are‍ made,” Trump said. “And likewise⁢ new‍ countries can be added as threats⁤ emerge around the world, but we will not allow peopel to enter our country who wish ⁣to do us harm and ‍nothing will stop us from keeping America safe.”

White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson stated on X that Trump is ⁤fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors. She added that the restrictions are country-specific,targeting nations with inadequate vetting processes,high visa overstay rates,or failures to ‍share identity and threat details. This new travel ban highlights the‍ governance’s focus on immigration and border security.

the proclamation follows an executive order signed on Trump’s ⁤first day in office, which aimed to protect citizens from aliens intending to commit terrorist acts, threaten national security, or exploit immigration laws. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was tasked with compiling a list of countries with deficient vetting and screening information.

CNN reported that Trump’s decision⁢ to sign the proclamation came after the antisemitic attack in ⁢Boulder, Colo.,though the⁢ suspect did ⁣not enter‍ the U.S. from one of the restricted ⁢countries. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, an Egyptian national, faces federal hate crime charges and state attempted murder counts. He entered California in august 2022 on a B2 visa that⁤ expired in February 2023,⁤ and his asylum claim was pending.

Alex Nowrasteh, of the ⁢Cato ⁣Institute, noted the rarity of foreign-born terrorists. “A single terrorist from those countries murdered one person in an attack on US soil: Emanuel ⁢Kidega Samson from Sudan, who committed an attack motivated by anti-white animus in 2017,” Nowrasteh wrote.‍ He added that the annual chance of being murdered by a terrorist from one of the banned countries from 1975⁢ to the⁣ end of 2024 was about 1 in 13.9 billion per year.

Nowrasteh also pointed out that travelers and ⁤immigrants from the 12 banned countries have a nationwide incarceration rate of 370 per 100,000 in 2023 for the 18-54 aged population, which 70 percent below that of native-born Americans. The‍ data came from the U.S.census and American Community Survey Data.

During his first term, Trump implemented a travel ban⁢ targeting citizens from predominantly Muslim countries, including Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, ⁣and Yemen. This ban faced legal challenges but was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. president Joe⁢ Biden repealed the ban upon taking office in 2021.

What’s next

The new restrictions are set to take affect Monday, and the list of affected countries might potentially be revised based on improvements in vetting procedures or the emergence of new threats. The impact on international relations⁢ and immigration remains to be seen.