Donald Trump's new travel ban revives controversial policy, blocks entry from 12 nations including Afghanistan & Iran
In a video, Trump linked the ban to the recent Boulder, Colorado attack, citing it as an example of threats posed by visa overstays. The attacker in that incident was from Egypt, which is not on the list. Trump justified the move, saying some countries have 'deficient' screening and vetting systems and fail to repatriate citizens.
Full list of affected countries
The 12 countries now banned from U.S. entry include:
Afghanistan, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The 7 countries under restricted travel include:
Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The order excludes certain categories such as: Green card holders, dual nationals using passports from non-restricted countries, diplomats with valid non-immigrant visas, athletes and relatives attending international sports events, holders of Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) from Afghanistan or U.S. government employees and adoption-related and family-based visa holders.
Donald Trump reinstates a travel ban covering 12 countries | Credit: X
Justification and legal basis
The new ban builds upon an executive order signed on January 20, directing federal agencies to assess risks posed by countries with 'hostile attitudes' and high visa overstay rates. Trump's statement said Afghanistan lacked a 'competent or cooperative central authority' to issue reliable documents, and similar reasons were cited for other countries.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a version of the original travel ban in 2018, and this updated order attempts to avoid the legal and logistical confusion that marked its 2017 rollout by providing advanced notice.
Responses and reactions
Critics of the ban, including Oxfam America, have condemned the move. Abby Maxman, its president, called the policy one of 'division,' arguing it targets communities seeking safety and opportunity. Others voiced concern over the inclusion of countries like Afghanistan, whose citizens had previously supported U.S. forces.
Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, said including Afghanistan was 'a moral disgrace' and an insult to veterans and allies. Trump countered that the decision was based on practical concerns about identification and documentation processes.
Past vs present
The original travel ban from Trump's first term affected countries such as Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen, and was widely referred to as a 'Muslim ban'. Trump has consistently defended these actions on national security grounds, while critics have pointed to his earlier statements during the 2016 campaign calling for a complete ban on Muslims entering the U.S.
This time, the list includes countries that were not part of the previous bans, such as Haiti and Myanmar, both now cited for overstay rates and unstable domestic governance.
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