Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Jun 5: US President Donald Trump has signed a new presidential proclamation barring nationals from 12 countries from entering the United States, citing concerns over terrorism and other security threats.

The order, which takes effect on June 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT), is part of a broader immigration crackdown Trump launched earlier this year as part of his second term agenda.

The 12 countries affected are: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additionally, partial restrictions will apply to travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” Trump said in a video posted on X, adding that the list could be revised or expanded.

The proclamation clarifies that visas issued prior to the effective date will remain valid.

This latest move echoes Trump’s controversial travel ban during his first term, which targeted several Muslim-majority countries and was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. That ban was repealed by his successor, President Joe Biden, in 2021, who called it “a stain on our national conscience.”

Trump defended the latest ban by arguing that the countries targeted either harbor terrorist networks, lack the capacity to verify travelers’ identities, or have poor record-keeping systems that make proper vetting impossible.

“We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States,” Trump said, citing a recent incident in Boulder, Colorado, where a man threw a gasoline bomb at pro-Israel demonstrators.

The suspect in that attack, Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, had overstayed his tourist visa — though Egypt is not among the countries on the ban list.

Reactions from Affected Countries

Somalia’s ambassador to the U.S., Dahir Hassan Abdi, pledged to work with Washington to address the security concerns. “Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue,” he said in a statement.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello criticized the move, describing the U.S. government as “fascist” and warning that “being in the United States is a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans.”

Officials from Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Laos did not immediately comment. Pakistan, meanwhile, did not respond to questions about the thousands of Afghan refugees awaiting U.S. resettlement in Islamabad.

A Broader Crackdown

Trump first previewed his tougher immigration stance in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict entry from Gaza, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and other areas he deemed threats to national security.

Earlier this year, on January 20, he signed an executive order demanding heightened vetting of foreigners seeking admission to the U.S., instructing cabinet members to identify countries that fail to meet security standards. The latest travel restrictions emerged from that directive and were first reported by CBS News.

In March, the administration was reportedly weighing travel restrictions on dozens of other countries.

Trump’s travel ban represents a significant expansion of his immigration policies, raising questions about its impact on America’s global relationships and the fate of individuals with legitimate reasons for entering the country.