President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Wednesday evening imposing travel bans on nationals from 12 countries, citing security risks. The affected countries include Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Seven additional countries face partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The proclamation includes exemptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests.
Context Behind the Proclamation
The White House accelerated the travel ban following the antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado. However, the attacker was an Egyptian national, and Egypt was not included in the list.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said on X that the ban is a fulfillment of Trump’s promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors. The restrictions target countries with weak vetting procedures, high visa overstay rates, or inadequate threat information sharing.
Trump also indicated the list could be revised in the future based on changes in threat assessments. The proclamation will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on June 9.
This latest proclamation follows Trump’s first-day executive order in his current term directing a review of countries for possible travel restrictions based on deficient vetting.
In his previous term, Trump enacted a travel ban on seven majority-Muslim countries—Iran, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and Venezuela. After legal challenges, the Supreme Court upheld the third version of that ban in 2017.
President Joe Biden repealed this policy upon taking office in 2021.
Impact on Vulnerable Populations
The ban on Afghan nationals could severely affect Afghans who aided the U.S. during its two decades of war and are already facing challenges due to prior restrictions on refugee admissions and aid suspensions.
While the executive order exempts Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders, many vulnerable Afghans who do not qualify remain at risk.
Shawn Vandiver, founder of #AfghanEvac, stated the travel ban disproportionately harms families and individuals seeking lawful entry and called the proclamation a “strategic move, not a response to an immediate threat.”
Governments of affected countries have criticized the ban. Venezuela’s Minister of Interior warned of the risks of being in the U.S. for all, not just Venezuelans.
Humanitarian groups like Oxfam condemned the policy as a return to “fear, discrimination, and division.” Abby Maxman, Oxfam America’s CEO, noted the ban forces vulnerable people fleeing war and persecution to remain in dangerous conditions.
What The Author Thinks
While national security is paramount, sweeping travel bans that target entire countries often punish innocent people and fail to address underlying threats effectively. Such policies risk alienating allies, undermining America’s image as a refuge, and ignoring the nuanced realities of global migration and security. Thoughtful, targeted strategies are essential over blunt restrictions.
Featured image credit: Roboflow Universe
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