Donald Trump has enacted a broad travel ban preventing individuals from twelve nations from entering the United States, with the restrictions scheduled to commence in a matter of days.
This controversial decision, revealed on Wednesday night, revives his first-term’s contentious “Muslim ban” policy and is set to be implemented at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.
The nations subjected to a complete ban are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition to the outright ban, heightened restrictions will be slapped on visitors 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,” Trump said in a proclamation.
The sweeping list stems from a January 20 executive order, in which Trump tasked the State Department, Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence with flagging “hostile attitudes” and countries that pose a national security risk.
The crackdown mirrors Trump’s highly controversial 2017 executive order, which initially barred citizens from seven majority-Muslim nations — Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen — triggering chaos at airports and global backlash.
Dubbed the “Muslim ban”, it sparked scenes of confusion as travellers, including students and tourists, were blocked from boarding planes or detained after landing in the US.
After legal challenges, the policy was retooled and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018, with a version targeting Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, alongside North Korea and Venezuelan officials.
Trump has consistently defended the bans as vital to national security, despite critics accusing him of religious discrimination.
The latest move ramps up his hardline immigration stance as the Republican firebrand gears up for a second term — once again placing border control and national safety at the heart of his presidency.
Trump’s latest immigration crackdown initiatives
- Donald Trump announced on May 5 that illegal immigrants who “self-deport” will be given a $1,000 stipend and free flight home
- WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reported that the 7,000 illegal immigrants attempted to cross the border in March – the lowest in history
- Trump declared Mexican cartels and the El Salvadorian gang MS-13 terrorist organizations
- On May 4, Trump also announced he plans to reopen the notorious Alcatraz prison, which once housed gangster Al Capone
- In January, Trump revealed plans to send up to 30,000 illegal immigrants to detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
- In March, the US president began to deport hundreds of alleged gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador
