Donald Trump travel ban bars visitors from these 12 countries to the US
US President Donald Trump has imposed strict travel restrictions, banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States starting Monday. Additionally, visitors from seven other nations will face tighter controls.
The US Supreme Court has upheld Trump's move to bar nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Trump linked the new restrictions directly to Sunday's terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, which left eight people seriously injured. The President argued the attack highlighted risks posed by some visitors who overstay their visas.
The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is an Egyptian national - Egypt is not on the banned list. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed he overstayed a tourist visa.
In addition to the full bans, citizens from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will face stricter screening measures, but are not completely barred.
Residents from the following nations won't be able to visit the US from Monday.
Trump said some countries have "deficient" screening systems or have historically refused to repatriate their nationals.
His findings rely extensively on an annual Homeland Security report of visa overstays of tourists, business visitors and students who arrive by air and sea, singling out countries with high percentages of remaining after their visas expired.
"We don't want them", Mr Trump said. Writing on TruthSocial, Mr Trump claimed: "Haiti lacks a central authority with sufficient availability and dissemination of law enforcement information necessary to ensure its nationals do not undermine the national security of the United States."
Haiti, which avoided the travel ban during Mr Trump's first term, was also included for high overstay rates and large numbers who came to the US illegally. Haitians continue to flee poverty, hunger and political instability deepens while police and a UN-backed mission fight a surge in gang violence, with armed men controlling at least 85% of its capital, Port-au-Prince.
The inclusion of Afghanistan sparked backlash from some supporters who have worked to resettle Afghan refugees. The ban makes exceptions for Afghans on Special Immigrant Visas, generally people who worked most closely with the US government during the two-decade-long war there.
Afghanistan was also one of the largest sources of resettled refugees, with about 14,000 arrivals in a 12-month period through September 2024. Mr Trump suspended refugee resettlement his first day in office.
Shawn VanDiver, president and board chairman of #AfghanEvac, said: "To include Afghanistan - a nation whose people stood alongside American service members for 20 years - is a moral disgrace. It spits in the face of our allies, our veterans, and every value we claim to uphold."
Mr Trump wrote that Afghanistan "lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures". He also cited its visa overstay rates.
Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, said: "This policy is not about national security - it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States."
The Iranian government has yet to comment on its inclusion. Trump's administration labels Iran a "state sponsor of terrorism" and has long barred visitors except those holding valid visas or special minority protections.
Other Middle Eastern countries on the list - Libya, Sudan and Yemen - are mired in ongoing civil conflicts. Sudan is in active war, Yemen's war remains largely stalemated, and Libya is controlled by rival armed factions.
Exemptions to the new ban include athletes participating in major sporting events, dual nationals, and Afghan nationals with Special Immigrant Visas. The order also grants the Secretary of State discretion to grant further exemptions on a case-by-case basis.
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