U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping new travel ban targeting 12 countries, reviving one of his most controversial policies from his first term. The order, announced Wednesday and effective from Monday, cites national security concerns following a recent attack in Colorado.
The ban blocks all travel to the United States for nationals from Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. A partial ban will apply to seven more countries—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—allowing some temporary work visas.
Trump said the move was prompted by an alleged attack on a Jewish protest in Boulder, Colorado, involving a suspect reportedly in the country illegally. “We don’t want them,” Trump said in a video statement from the Oval Office, shared on social media.
Athletes from the affected countries will still be allowed to enter the U.S. for major international events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the order clarified.
The White House said each country was evaluated based on its ability to verify travelers’ identities and provide reliable security data. Iran was included due to its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, while countries like Libya and Yemen were cited for lacking stable governments capable of vetting travelers.
Critics, including Amnesty International USA, slammed the ban as “discriminatory, racist, and downright cruel.” Advocacy groups warned the policy could prevent U.S. citizens from reuniting with family abroad for key life events, as seen under Trump’s 2017 ban on several Muslim-majority nations.
In a separate announcement Wednesday, Trump also introduced a visa ban targeting international students bound for Harvard University, escalating his administration’s crackdown on perceived liberal strongholds.
The travel ban is expected to face legal challenges, continuing a pattern of litigation against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
