Washington, D.C (National Times): U.S. President Donald Trump has reintroduced one of his most controversial policies from his first term, a wide-reaching travel ban. The new executive order, signed on Wednesday, places travel restrictions on citizens from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, and Yemen. The move comes in the wake of a recent violent incident in Colorado, which authorities linked to an undocumented immigrant.
The countries facing a full travel ban are: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. A partial travel ban has also been imposed on nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The new restrictions will go into effect on Monday, according to the White House.
“We don’t want them,” Trump declared in a video message posted to X (formerly Twitter). “The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed by unvetted foreign nationals.”
The Incident Behind the Policy
The policy announcement follows a makeshift flamethrower attack at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado. The suspect, identified as Mohammed Sabry Soliman, reportedly entered the U.S. on a tourist visa and later overstayed it while seeking asylum. Homeland Security confirmed that Soliman had applied for asylum in 2022 but was residing in the U.S. illegally at the time of the attack.
Echoes of the 2017 Muslim Ban
Trump compared the move to his 2017 travel ban, which targeted several Muslim-majority countries and sparked global protests and legal battles. Defending the decision, he said the previous policy prevented terror attacks in the U.S. that otherwise occurred in parts of Europe.
“We will not let what happened in Europe happen here,” Trump said. “We cannot allow migration from countries where we cannot safely vet individuals.”
Legal, Diplomatic Fallout Likely
Critics have warned the policy could once again face court challenges. Immigration advocates, civil rights groups, and several Democrats have already voiced concerns, calling the measure discriminatory and unnecessary.
Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello criticized the announcement, warning Venezuelans against travel to the U.S. amid increasing hostility.
“Targeting Dangerous Foreign Actors”
White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson defended the ban, stating it was designed to protect Americans from “dangerous foreign actors.” She emphasized that the list of countries was selected based on poor vetting systems, high visa overstay rates, or lack of information-sharing with U.S. authorities.
“These commonsense restrictions are country-specific,” Jackson posted on X. “Each country named has failed to meet basic standards for immigration security.”
The presidential order details specific reasons for each country’s inclusion, citing security failures, active war zones, or ties to terrorism. Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia were cited as nations with unstable governments and weak passport systems, making identity verification unreliable. Iran was specifically named as a “state sponsor of terrorism.”
Harvard Students Also Affected
In a separate move on the same day, Trump announced a visa freeze on foreign students set to enroll at Harvard University, calling the Ivy League institution a “liberal stronghold” that “no longer serves American interests.” The decision is likely to spark additional backlash in academic and diplomatic circles.
As Trump barrels ahead with a series of bold executive orders in his return to office, the travel ban is likely to be one of the most hotly debated, both in courtrooms and at the ballot box.
