U.S. President Donald Trump has reinstated a sweeping travel ban affecting 19 countries, reviving one of the most controversial policies from his first term. The new executive order, signed Wednesday, blocks most travel from a dozen nations and imposes partial restrictions on seven others.
The order, which takes effect Monday, targets countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, and Somalia—nations Trump described as posing a threat due to weak vetting systems or links to terrorism. The administration said the ban was prompted by a recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, where a man allegedly in the U.S. illegally used a makeshift flamethrower against a pro-Israel protest.
In a video address posted to X (formerly Twitter), Trump said, “The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted. We don’t want them.”
Countries Affected
The full travel ban applies to nationals of:
Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
A partial ban, which permits certain temporary work visas but restricts most other forms of travel, applies to:
Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Exemptions and Backlash
Athletes participating in the 2026 World Cup—co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be exempt from the ban, according to the executive order.
However, the policy has already drawn sharp criticism both at home and abroad. Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello responded by warning citizens against traveling to the United States, calling it a “great risk for anyone.”
Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council, denounced the measure, saying, “The impact of the ban will once again be felt by Americans who were denied the ability to see their loved ones at weddings, funerals, or the birth of a child.”
Legal and Political Implications
This latest ban echoes Trump’s 2017 executive order targeting several Muslim-majority nations, a move that sparked global uproar and faced multiple legal battles. Trump defended the earlier ban as having prevented terrorist attacks in the U.S. similar to those experienced in Europe.
“We will not let what happened in Europe happen in America,” he said. “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen.”
Despite the bold rollout, the announcement was made without the usual press presence. It came moments after Trump addressed a crowd of about 3,000 political appointees at a White House “summer soiree.”
Details Behind the Ban
The White House cited specific reasons for each country’s inclusion. Nations such as Afghanistan, Yemen, and Sudan were flagged for lacking “competent” authorities to verify travel documents. Iran, meanwhile, was labeled a “state sponsor of terrorism.”
Interestingly, Egypt—home to the suspect in the Colorado attack—was not included on the list. Homeland Security officials said the attacker, Egyptian national Mohammed Sabry Soliman, had overstayed a tourist visa and was awaiting asylum since 2022.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said the new directive fulfills Trump’s promise “to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors that want to come to our country and cause us harm.”
Legal experts expect the ban to face challenges in court, continuing the contentious legacy of one of Trump’s most polarizing policies.