WASHINGTON, USA — U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order imposing a full travel ban on nationals from 12 countries and partial restrictions on citizens from seven others, in what the administration describes as a decisive move to protect national security.
The executive order, signed Wednesday, June 4, 2025, bans entry to the United States for citizens of Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Yemen, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Sudan, Myanmar, Somalia, Libya, and Equatorial Guinea.
Partial restrictions will also apply to travellers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
“I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” President Trump said while announcing the order.
“Very simply, 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.”
The White House cited a recent attack in Colorado as part of the rationale for the move, warning that weak vetting processes in foreign countries pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. security.
“We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America,” Trump added.
“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm.”
The order allows for exemptions on a “case-by-case” basis, to be administered by the U.S. Secretary of State.
Several of the affected countries are experiencing conflict or political instability, while others, the administration claimed, have failed to provide U.S. authorities with adequate access to criminal or identity records.
The order also cited difficulties in deporting some foreign nationals from the United States back to their home countries.
The travel restrictions are set to take effect on Monday, June 9, 2025.
The move mirrors a similar 2017 executive order during Trump’s first term that banned entry from several Muslim-majority nations — a policy that drew widespread legal challenges and global criticism.
In a related development, President Trump also signed a separate executive order suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in academic programmes at Harvard University.
The proclamation temporarily blocks non-immigrant visa holders from entering the U.S. for Harvard-based education programmes.
The administration has repeatedly accused the Ivy League institution of promoting what it called “radicalism,” “antisemitism,” and “a persistence with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes.”
No immediate response was issued by Harvard University, but legal analysts say the order is likely to face strong challenges in federal court, particularly on grounds of academic freedom and discriminatory targeting.
Both orders reflect Trump’s hardline stance on immigration and national identity, which has remained a central theme of his second term policy agenda.
