Trump Expands US Travel Ban to Nationals of 12 Countries
US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning the nationals of 12 countries from entering the United States, saying the move was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats.
The directive is part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has also included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members and efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students and deport others.
The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, reported Reuters.
The entry of people from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, will be partially restricted.
"We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm," Trump said in a video posted on X. He said the list could be revised and new countries could be added.
The proclamation is effective on June 9, 2025 at 12:01 am EDT (0401 GMT). Visas issued before that date will not be revoked, the order said.
During his first term in office, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Former President Joe Biden, a Democrat who succeeded Trump, repealed that ban on nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen in 2021, calling it "a stain on our national conscience."
Trump said the countries subject to the most severe restrictions were determined to harbor a "large-scale presence of terrorists," fail to cooperate on visa security and have an inability to verify travelers' identities, inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the United States.
"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," Trump said.
He cited Sunday's incident in Boulder, Colorado in which a man tossed a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators as an example of why the new restrictions are needed.
An Egyptian national, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, has been charged in the attack. Federal officials said Soliman had overstayed his tourist visa and had an expired work permit - although Egypt is not on the list of countries facing travel limits.
BEING IN THE US A 'BIG RISK'
Somalia immediately pledged to work with the US to address security issues.
"Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised," Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the United States, said in a statement.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a close ally of President Nicolas Maduro, responded on Wednesday evening by describing the US government as fascist and warning Venezuelans of being in the US.
"The truth is being in the United States is a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans ... They persecute our countrymen, our people for no reason."
A spokesperson for the Taliban-led Afghan foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Pakistan's foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment on how it would handle the thousands of Afghans waiting in Islamabad who had been in the pipeline for US resettlement.
Calls early on Thursday to the spokesperson of Myanmar's military government were not answered. The foreign ministry of Laos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump campaigned on a tough border strategy and previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and "anywhere else that threatens our security."
Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the US to detect national security threats. That order directed several cabinet members to submit a list of countries from which travel should be partly or fully suspended because their "vetting and screening information is so deficient."
The latest travel restrictions were first reported by CBS News.
In March, Reuters reported that the Trump administration was considering travel restrictions on dozens of countries.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
42 minutes ago
- Arab News
Pakistan says US should encourage India to engage in ‘comprehensive dialogue'
WASHINGTON: The head of a delegation visiting Washington DC to present Islamabad's position following a recent military standoff with New Delhi said on Friday the United States should encourage India and Pakistan to engage in a 'comprehensive dialogue.' Weeks after their worst military confrontation in decades, India and Pakistan have dispatched top lawmakers to press their cases in the United States, where President Donald Trump has shown eagerness for diplomacy between them. After crisscrossing the world, the delegations descended this week at the same time on Washington, which played a key mediatory role in a ceasefire after four days of fighting between the nuclear-armed adversaries in May. In strikingly similar strategies, the rival delegations are both led by veteran politicians who have been critical of their countries' governments and are known for their ease in speaking to Western audiences. Pakistan has embraced an active role for the Trump administration while India, which has close relations with Washington, has been more circumspect and has long refused outside mediation on the flashpoint Himalayan territory of Kashmir. 'Just like the United States and President Trump played a role in encouraging us to achieve this ceasefire, I believe they should play their part in encouraging both sides to engage in a comprehensive dialogue,' said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the scion of a political dynasty whose Pakistan People's Party says it belongs neither to the governing coalition nor opposition. 'I don't quite understand the Indian government's hesitance,' Bhuttoo Zardari, the head of the Pakistani diplomatic delegation, told AFP. 'I'm the first to criticize the United States for so many reasons, but where they do the right thing, where they do the difficult task of actually achieving a ceasefire, they deserve appreciation.' India's delegation is led by one of its most prominent opposition politicians, Shashi Tharoor, a former senior UN official and writer. He said he was putting the national interest first, despite disagreements domestically with Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tharoor said he heard 'total support and solidarity for India' during his meetings with US lawmakers and a 'complete understanding of India's right to defend itself against terrorism.' 'NO EQUIVALENCE' Gunmen on April 22 massacred 26 tourists on the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, most singled out as Hindus, in the deadliest attack on civilians in decades in the scenic region that has seen a long-running insurgency. India accused Pakistan of backing the assailants — which it denies — and launched strikes on Pakistani territory. More than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides. 'There can be no equivalence between a country sending terrorists and a country having its civilians killed, holiday-makers, tourists, men shot down in front of their wives and children after being asked their religion,' Tharoor told a news conference. He said he was 'puzzled' by those who believe denials of responsibility by Pakistan, pointing to how US forces found Osama bin Laden in the country. Tharoor also noted that former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto Zardari's father, had advocated peace with India but was in power during the siege of Mumbai on November 26, 2008. 'If they can't control what they're doing to us, why bother to talk to them?' said Tharoor, who pointed to the outsized role of the military in Pakistan. 'NEW NORMAL' Trump has repeatedly credited his administration with averting nuclear war and said the United States had negotiated an agreement to hold talks between the two sides at a neutral site, an assertion that met India's silence. Pakistan had cool relations with Trump's predecessor Joe Biden, whose aides bitterly resented Islamabad's role in the Afghanistan war, but Pakistan has quickly worked to woo Trump including with the arrest of a suspect in a deadly 2021 attack that killed more than 170 people, including 13 US troops, during the withdrawal from Kabul. Bilawal, recalling how his mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was killed in a terror attack, said Pakistan was ready to discuss terrorism with India but that Kashmir as a 'root cause' also needed to be on the table. He said that India was establishing a dangerous new precedent in South Asia where whenever there is a terrorist attack in any country, 'you go straight to war.' 'I think that the fate of 1.7 billion people and our two great nations should not left in the hands of these nameless, faceless, non-state actors and this new normal that India is trying to impose on the region,' he said. The two delegations have no plans to meet in Washington.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Pakistan moves to build ‘direct collaboration' with New York Crypto Council
KARACHI: Pakistan's Minister of State for Crypto and Blockchain, Bilal Bin Saqib, has met New York City Mayor Eric Adams, in a 'key step' toward building 'direct collaboration' between the crypto councils of Pakistan and New York, Saqib's office said in a statement on Friday. The minister, who is also the CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), has been on a visit to the United States since last month, where he has met over a dozen key US government officials and lawmakers to strengthen cooperation in the areas of digital assets, blockchain regulation, and financial innovation. Pakistan set up the PCC in March to create a legal framework for cryptocurrency trading in a bid to lure international investment. In April, Pakistan introduced its first-ever policy framework to set rules for how digital money like cryptocurrencies and the companies that deal in it should operate in Pakistan. The policy has been formulated to align with compliance and financial integrity guidelines of the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Last month, the government also approved setting up the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), a specialized regulatory body to oversee blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Saqib last week also unveiled the country's first government-led strategic bitcoin reserve at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas. 'Both New York City and Pakistan have taken bold steps by establishing dedicated Crypto Councils to support the responsible growth of the digital economy,' a statement from Saqib's office said after he met Adams. 'This meeting marked a key step toward building direct collaboration between the New York Crypto Council and the Pakistan Crypto Council— two government-backed bodies committed to shaping the future of Web3.' Adams and Saqib explored opportunities to co-develop knowledge-sharing initiatives, capacity-building programs, and strategic advisory efforts to foster innovation and also discussed regulatory compliance. 'This event marked the final stop on Minister Saqib's official US tour focused on blockchain innovation, public-private partnerships, and advancing global crypto collaboration. The meeting at Gracie Mansion offered a fitting conclusion— highlighting New York City's pivotal role in global tech leadership and Pakistan's emergence as a bold new voice in the digital asset space,' the statement said. Late last month, Pakistan announced the allocation of 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity in the first phase of a national initiative to power bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence data centers. The allocation is the first phase of a broader, multi-stage digital infrastructure roll-out. On Thursday, Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired a meeting at the Finance Division to review progress on the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital and virtual assets in the country. The law ministry tabled a draft of the proposed legal framework during the meeting, which was developed through close collaboration with members of the PCC, key stakeholders and technical experts. 'During the meeting, the draft was thoroughly reviewed and refined,' the Finance Division said. 'It was collectively agreed that in-principle approval process will be fast-tracked to ensure timely enactment and effective implementation.' The draft legislation outlines a regulatory structure for digital and virtual assets, encompassing governance mechanisms, licensing protocols and investor protection provisions, the statement said. The proposed framework seeks to position Pakistan as a forward-looking participant in the digital asset ecosystem, the statement added.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Musk ‘very welcome' in Europe after Trump bust-up: Official
Elon Musk is 'very welcome' in Europe, a spokesperson for the European Commission quipped Friday, following the tech billionaire's spectacular public falling-out with US President Donald Trump. The Trump-Musk political marriage blew up on Thursday as the president declared himself 'very disappointed' in criticisms from his former aide and top donor -- before the pair hurled insults at each other on social media. At the commission's daily briefing, spokesperson Paula Pinho was asked whether Musk had reached out to the European Union with a view to relocating his businesses, or setting up new ones. 'He's very welcome,' she replied with a smile. The commission's spokesperson for tech matters, Thomas Regnier, followed up by stressing -- straight-faced -- that 'everyone is very welcome indeed to start and to scale in the EU.' 'That is precisely the objective of Choose Europe,' he said, referencing an EU initiative in favor of start-ups and expanding businesses. Musk has been a frequent critic of the 27-nation EU -- attacking its digital laws as censorship and berating its leaders, while cheering on the ascendant far-right in Germany and elsewhere. The tycoon's row with Trump saw the president threaten to strip him of government contracts estimated at $18 billion -- with Musk vowing in response to end a critical US spaceship program. Explaining the rift, Trump said Musk had gone 'crazy' about a plan to end electric vehicle subsidies in the new US spending bill -- as the bust-up sent shares in Musk's Tesla car company plunging.
