Donald Trump just reintroduced one of the most controversial policies from his first presidency, an expanded travel ban targeting foreign nationals from 19 countries. The new proclamation, effective June 9, 2025, claims to protect U.S. citizens from potential national security threats by suspending immigration and nonimmigration entry from nations deemed to have “deficient” screening processes.
Trump says the move is rooted in national interest. He pointed to his earlier travel ban, which was upheld by the Supreme Court, as a precedent, insisting that tight borders are essential for safety. This time around, however, the list is longer and the language even sharper.
Twelve countries face a full ban on entry, including Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The justification? Either an inability to verify identities, rampant visa overstays, or a lack of cooperation in repatriating individuals.
Meanwhile, seven additional nations, including Cuba, Venezuela, and Laos, are subject to partial restrictions, mostly barring entry on tourist and student visas. In some cases, consular officers have been instructed to reduce visa validity altogether.
What’s different this time is the detailed framing. Trump’s team claims that visa overstay data and national intelligence assessments informed the decisions. For example, Equatorial Guinea showed a jaw-dropping 70% overstay rate for certain visa types. Eritrea and Somalia were flagged for lacking any reliable documentation systems. Iran and Cuba are once again described as state sponsors of terrorism.
Notably, the proclamation includes built-in exceptions. Green card holders, dual nationals, athletes participating in global sporting events, and individuals facing religious persecution may still be eligible for entry, if they clear strict scrutiny. The policy also allows for case-by-case waivers for national interest, especially in legal or humanitarian situations.
Critics are already slamming the ban as discriminatory and overly broad. Immigration advocacy groups argue it punishes civilians for the failures of their governments. But Trump’s base appears to see this as a return to “America First” principles.
Interestingly, the countries named aren’t all the usual suspects. Some, like Togo and Turkmenistan, may raise eyebrows. But the administration argues that their cooperation with U.S. immigration systems has been historically poor, and visa abuse is rampant.
So what happens now? The Secretary of State and intelligence agencies will conduct rolling assessments every 180 days to determine whether countries can be removed from the ban, if they fix their information-sharing practices. But the bar has been set high.
This proclamation doesn’t affect those already holding valid visas or those granted asylum or refugee status. But for new applicants, the road just got significantly steeper.
Love it or hate it, the new Trump travel ban is here, and it’s already reshaping the global conversation on U.S. immigration.
