United States President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation, banning the travel of nationals from 12 countries to the US, citing national security risks. The proclamation will go into effect on Monday, June 9. Trump has also partially restricted and limited the entry of nationals from seven other countries. The partial ban extends to Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. While signing the official declaration, Trump stated that the travel restrictions he placed during his first term had produced positive results in preventing national security threats from reaching the US border.
The travel ban doesn’t come as a surprise, as the Trump administration had indicated that it was working on something like this.
Which Countries Are Affected And Why It Matters?
The 12 countries affected by Trump’s fresh travel ban include: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
It is reported that the president Trump was motivated to sign the proclamation after the Colorado attack over the weekend. In the video announcing the new travel ban, Trump remarked that there has been “one terror attack after another” carried out by “foreign visa stayers from dangerous places”.
The proclamation signed by Trump reads, “During my first Administration, I restricted the entry of foreign nationals into the United States, which successfully prevented national security threats from reaching our borders and which the Supreme Court upheld. In Executive Order 14161 of January 20, 2025 (Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats), I stated that it is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.”
Is India On The List?
Notably, India is not in the list of affected countries. India’s exemption from the list suggests that the US doesn’t see India as a country, which could pose threat to its national security. We say this, as Trump made it clear that the travel ban is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from individuals who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.
Moreover, Trump firmly stated that the US can’t have “open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter”.
This isn’t the first time that Trump has placed travel restrictions on some countries. In 2017, he had first banned Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia and extended it to North Korea, Venezuela and Chad Later. The latest partial travel ban on seven countries is seen as Trump administration giving them a chance to improve their screening and vetting protocols.
