Former President Donald Trump has announced a renewed travel ban impacting citizens from 12 countries, with additional restrictions placed on visitors from seven others. The measure is set to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. this coming Monday.
This latest move revives a controversial policy from Trump’s first term, though this time it’s being introduced with more notice, likely in an effort to avoid the confusion and airport disruptions that followed the 2017 rollout. The prior ban sparked widespread protests and legal battles, though it was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The updated list of banned countries includes: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Several of these nations had been subject to similar bans during Trump’s previous administration.
Additionally, visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will now face increased entry restrictions, though they are not entirely barred.
Trump addressed the public via a video shared on social media, linking the updated policy to a recent terror incident in Boulder, Colorado. He argued that the attack, allegedly carried out by a man who had overstayed his tourist visa, highlighted national security vulnerabilities. The suspect, however, is from Egypt — a nation not included in the new restrictions.
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that the suspect remained in the U.S. beyond the authorized period of his visa, reinforcing concerns over visa overstays — an issue the Trump team has long cited as a loophole in immigration control.