 "US President Donald Trump gestures during a \"Summer Soiree\" held on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, June 4, 2025. File Image/Reuters")
United States President Donald Trump has reinstated a sweeping travel ban targeting nationals from a list of countries deemed by his administration to pose security risks.
The proclamation, signed on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, is set to take effect at 12:01 am EDT on June 9, echoing a resemblance to the infamous 2017 “Muslim ban.”
The order imposes full travel bans on 12 countries and partial restrictions on seven others.
While it bears structural similarities to the earlier version upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018, the latest iteration applies to a wider geographical range and includes different categories of exemptions.
What the new travel ban comprises
The latest travel proclamation bans nationals from 12 countries from entering the United States. These are: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
In addition to the outright entry ban, visitors from seven countries — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela — will face restrictions on immigrant and non-immigrant visa categories including B-1, B-2, F, M and J visas.
The proclamation clearly states that it does not revoke visas issued prior to June 9, offering a degree of clarity that was absent during the rollout of the 2017 travel ban, which caused chaos at airports worldwide.
It also outlines specific exceptions, including lawful permanent residents of the United States, dual nationals travelling on a passport from an unrestricted country, diplomats with valid non-immigrant visas, and athletes and their immediate families travelling for major international sports events.
Notably, Afghan nationals with Special Immigrant Visas, as well as persecuted ethnic and religious minorities from Iran, are also exempt.
Trump defended the rationale behind the move in a social media video, linking it to national security risks and the recent Colorado terror incident. “We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” Trump said.
While the suspect in the Boulder attack was from Egypt — a nation not included in the new restrictions —Trump cited the case to highlight broader risks posed by visa overstays.
How Trump’s 2025 travel ban compares with 2017
Trump’s original travel ban was launched through Executive Order 13769 on January 27, 2017, and applied to travellers from seven Muslim-majority nations: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
It also halted refugee resettlement and reduced the annual refugee admissions cap. The order was initially blocked in court, revised, and then replaced by other executive orders and presidential proclamations before a version was finally upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018.
While both the 2017 and 2025 bans cite national security concerns and inadequate vetting as the main justifications, the countries listed in the latest order are not exclusively Muslim-majority.
Instead, they are identified based on visa overstay rates, lack of cooperation with US immigration authorities or internal instability. For instance, 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 pointed to Haiti’s “lack of a central authority with sufficient availability and dissemination of law enforcement information.”
Unlike in 2017, when travellers with existing visas were detained or turned back mid-journey, the 2025 version offers a grace period and clearer guidance. Visas issued before June 9 will remain valid, and legal permanent residents and others fitting exemption categories will still be allowed to enter.
Trump’s previous ban also underwent several iterations. The third version of the 2017 policy extended to include North Korea and certain Venezuelan government officials.
A later proclamation added countries like Nigeria, Tanzania and Myanmar, primarily targeting immigrant visa categories.
US President Joe Biden revoked the 2017 ban in 2021, calling it “a stain on our national conscience.”
What the response has been
As with the original travel ban, the new order has drawn heavy criticism from human rights groups and immigration advocates.
“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,” said Shawn VanDiver, president and board chairman of #AfghanEvac.
Aid organisations have also condemned the ban. Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, stated, “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.”
On the other hand, Trump and his supporters have defended the action as a necessary step to ensure that individuals entering the US are thoroughly vetted and do not pose threats.
“We don’t want them,” Trump said, referring to visitors from countries with “deficient” screening systems or those that refuse to repatriate citizens ordered to be deported.
The US Department of Homeland Security report on visa overstays played a central role in shaping the list. According to Trump, countries were included due to high percentages of overstays among tourists, business visitors, and students.
What changed from 2017
Although the travel ban affects a range of countries, some of which were on previous lists, there are notable additions and exclusions.
For instance, Haiti was not banned in Trump’s first term but has been added now due to its rising visa overstay rates and ongoing domestic instability. Armed gangs control much of Port-au-Prince, and the country’s weakened state infrastructure has been cited in justifying its inclusion.
The reaction from countries affected has varied. While the Iranian government has not immediately responded, the US continues to classify Iran as a “state sponsor of terrorism.” The ban excludes Iranian minorities holding special visas granted for cases of religious persecution.
Other countries — such as Libya, Sudan and Yemen — continue to struggle with civil conflict and factional control, circumstances which, according to the Trump administration, make reliable screening difficult.
This new policy is also part of a broader immigration clampdown under Trump’s second term. Alongside the travel ban, his administration has taken steps to expel suspected gang members to El Salvador and restrict the access of certain foreign students.
The order originated from a January 20 directive requiring the Departments of State and Homeland Security, along with the Director of National Intelligence, to evaluate countries based on their perceived “hostile attitudes” and threats posed to the United States.
With inputs from agencies