Trump’s Sweeping Travel Ban Targets Dozens of Countries
Just when you thought America’s immigration rules couldn’t get any tighter, President Donald Trump took things up a notch. On June 5, 2025, he signed a new presidential proclamation cranking up travel restrictions like never before. If you’re a citizen from one of the 12 flagged countries, your hopes of flying to the U.S. just got dashed. Full travel bans now hit people from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The White House says this move is about protecting American borders from terrorism and threats to public safety. The administration points the finger at these 12 nations for what they call “inadequate screening and vetting.” According to officials, their systems aren’t robust enough to reliably weed out bad actors, calling the risk to the U.S. 'very high.' These bans don’t just pop up randomly—especially right before a contentious election season.
Partial Restrictions and Scope of Exemptions
The crackdown doesn’t stop there. Seven more countries—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—are now subject to partial restrictions. This means folks from those places might still get in, but only after passing some serious extra checks. The rationale? The administration claims these nations pose a 'high level of risk,' just a notch below the newly banned countries.
Let’s not forget who’s spared from these strict rules. Lawful permanent residents aren’t losing their green cards. Existing visa holders can still travel, and a special clause covers anyone whose entry serves 'U.S. national interests.' That could mean foreign doctors, critical business partners, or emergency cases—all at Washington’s discretion.
This isn’t Trump’s first rodeo with sweeping travel bans. Back in 2017, he rolled out his infamous order that kept citizens from several mainly Muslim nations out of the U.S. That controversial move fired up protests and legal showdowns across the country. After tweaks and legal battles, the Supreme Court finally let a revised version stand in 2018. Today’s ban goes further, stretching beyond the earlier list, and touching more corners of the globe.
What’s driving all this? Executive Order 14161 is the answer. It requires that foreign nationals are screened using even tougher risk assessments. The new proclamation fits right into that framework, setting a fresh benchmark for who gets in—and who’s told to stay put. For those affected, America’s gates have never felt more tightly shut.
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