In a sweeping new directive that echoes—and expands upon—his first-term immigration orders, President Trump announced a proclamation Tuesday barring entry to nationals from 12 countries and imposing partial visa restrictions on seven others. Set to take effect June 9, the policy was cast as a national security imperative targeting countries flagged for harboring terrorist threats, enabling rampant visa overstays, or refusing to cooperate with U.S. screening procedures.
The list of countries under total entry suspension includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. A partial ban—blocking immigrants and certain nonimmigrant visas—applies to Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. The affected nonimmigrant categories encompass tourist, business, student, and exchange visas.
In the proclamation, Trump warned that failing to act against “aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws” would endanger American lives. Administration officials cited alarming overstay rates—like Chad’s 49.54% rate on business/tourist visas and Equatorial Guinea’s 70.18% student visa overstay rate—as evidence of systemic noncompliance and abuse.
Exemptions are provided for lawful permanent residents, dual nationals using passports from unrestricted countries, diplomats, Olympic athletes, and certain family-based or special immigrant visa holders. The Attorney General and Secretary of State are authorized to grant discretionary waivers for individuals whose entry is deemed in the national interest, such as cooperating witnesses in criminal investigations.
The proclamation revives the legal and political tensions of Trump’s original “travel ban,” which sparked multiple court battles but was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court during his first term. This latest version similarly includes a provision for a separate assessment of Egypt’s security protocols, citing recent unspecified developments.
As legal challenges loom and diplomatic protests are anticipated—particularly from nations like Haiti and Yemen—Trump’s message is clear: immigration control remains a defining pillar of his agenda. But the scale and secrecy of the new restrictions may provoke a fresh round of political and judicial scrutiny, even as the administration insists national security cannot wait.
