Effective today, the Trump administration has enacted a sweeping travel ban, barring entry to the United States for nationals of 12 countries and imposing significant visa restrictions on seven others.
The executive order revives and broadens a policy from President Donald Trump’s first term in office. The subsequent Biden administration reversed that policy, but on the campaign trail, Trump pledged to reinstate it.
Nationals from Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen are now barred from entering the United States.
RELATED: Trump Orders Sweeping New Restrictions On Entry For Foreign Nationals, Citing National Security
In addition to the full ban, the executive order places significant new visa restrictions on Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. The administration has stated that the countries included in the new policy were selected based on assessments of their security and cooperation with the U.S. on counter-terrorism measures.
In a statement, President Trump asserted that the restrictions are “necessary to preserve the safety and security of the American people.” The administration argues that the targeted countries have inadequate vetting processes and pose a risk to the United States.
The previous travel ban, which faced numerous legal challenges and sparked protests at airports nationwide, was a defining policy of Trump’s first term.
FULL SUSPENSIONS
- Afghanistan: Cited for being controlled by the Taliban (a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group), lacking a competent central authority for document issuance, and having high visa overstay rates (9.70% for B-1/B-2 visas and 29.30% for F, M, J visas in FY2023).
- Burma: Noted for high visa overstay rates (27.07% for B-1/B-2 and 42.17% for F, M, J in FY2023) and historical non-cooperation in accepting removable nationals.
- Chad: Highlighted for “unacceptable” and “blatant disregard for United States immigration laws” due to soaring visa overstay rates (49.54% for B-1/B-2 and 55.64% for F, M, J in FY2023, up from 37.12% in FY2022).
- Republic of the Congo: Cited for B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 29.63% and F, M, J visa overstay rate of 35.14%.
- Equatorial Guinea: Noted for B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 21.98% and a significantly high F, M, J visa overstay rate of 70.18%.
- Eritrea: Concerns raised over the competence of its central authority for document issuance, unavailability of criminal records to the U.S., historical refusal to accept removable nationals, and high overstay rates (20.09% for B-1/B-2 and 55.43% for F, M, J).
- Haiti: Cited for B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 31.38% and F, M, J visa overstay rate of 25.05%. The proclamation also directly references “hundreds of thousands of illegal Haitian aliens” during the previous administration, creating “acute risks of increased overstay rates, establishment of criminal networks, and other national security threats.”
- Iran: Designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, with regular failure to cooperate in identifying security risks and historical failure to accept back removable nationals.
- Libya: Noted for lacking a competent central authority for documents and a historical terrorist presence within its territory.
- Somalia: Identified as a “terrorist safe haven” with a government lacking control over its territory, insufficient screening measures, and historical refusal to accept removable nationals.
- Sudan: Cited for lacking a competent central authority for documents and insufficient screening, along with B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 26.30% and F, M, J visa overstay rate of 28.40%.
- Yemen: Concerns raised over lacking a competent central authority for documents, insufficient screening, and the government’s lack of physical control over its territory, which has been a site of active U.S. military operations since January 20, 2025.
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