The United States President, Donald Trump has signed a new presidential proclamation banning citizens from a dozen countries from traveling to the United States, citing national security concerns.
The measure, announced Wednesday is set to take effect on Monday, June 9.
The ban applies to nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela have been placed under partial travel restrictions.
In a video message released by the White House, Trump pointed to a recent mass attack in Colorado—allegedly carried out by an Egyptian national—as evidence of what he called a failure of the current immigration vetting system.
Despite this, Egypt is not included among the countries affected by the travel ban.
“This is about keeping Americans safe,” Trump said. “We are not going to let people into our country who we cannot properly vet.”
The decision has sparked widespread condemnation abroad.
The Venezuelan government accused the Trump administration of acting like “supremacists who think they own the world,” while Somali officials said they were “deeply disappointed” and vowed to engage in diplomatic talks to address U.S. concerns.
Despite its broad scope, the proclamation includes certain exemptions. These apply to individuals such as ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution—particularly in Iran—as well as international athletes traveling for major sporting events.
The travel ban was one of two major announcements made by the White House.
Trump also signed an executive order restricting foreign student visas at Harvard University, citing national security risks and ideological infiltration.
Additionally, the president ordered a federal investigation into what he alleges was a “coordinated cover-up” of former President Joe Biden’s cognitive health decline during his final year in office.
Legal experts expect the new travel restrictions to face swift court challenges, echoing the controversy that surrounded Trump’s earlier travel bans during his first term in office.
Civil rights groups and immigration advocates have already signaled plans to oppose the move.
The White House has not provided a timeline for how long the restrictions will remain in place.