Faith Nyasuguta
In a sweeping move that revives one of his most contentious immigration policies, U.S. President Donald Trump has reinstated a travel ban blocking citizens from 12 countries -including seven African nations- from entering the United States. The new proclamation, signed Wednesday, is set to take effect on June 9, 2025.
Trump, now in his second term, framed the decision as necessary to shield America from what he described as foreign threats. “We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” he said in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), adding that the list may be expanded in the future.
The ban applies fully to citizens of Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Haiti, Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Yemen. Additionally, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will face partial restrictions. The order notes that individuals who already hold valid visas will not be affected.
Trump said countries facing the most severe restrictions were either hosting a large presence of terrorist groups, failed to share adequate information about their citizens, had poor criminal records management, or exhibited high visa overstay rates. He cited the recent gasoline bomb attack at a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado – allegedly by an Egyptian national who had overstayed his visa – as evidence of the need for stronger vetting. Ironically, Egypt is not on the restricted list.
This new directive mirrors Trump’s infamous 2017 travel ban that initially targeted Muslim-majority countries, a policy that faced massive backlash but was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Ex-President Joe Biden had revoked that order in 2021, branding it “a stain on our national conscience.”
The latest announcement has sparked diplomatic tension. Somalia, one of the affected African nations, quickly responded by expressing willingness to cooperate with the U.S. “Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised,” said Dahir Hassan Abdi, Somalia’s ambassador to Washington.
In Venezuela, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello condemned the U.S. government as “fascist” and warned Venezuelans of the increasing dangers of living in the United States: “They persecute our countrymen for no reason.”
Meanwhile, thousands of Afghans awaiting U.S. resettlement in Islamabad may face uncertainty, and Myanmar students who secured academic placements in American universities are now in limbo. One such teacher, who had secured a place in a U.S.-funded digital education program, said the decision jeopardizes years of preparation and effort.
The travel ban is part of Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration during his second term, which has also included mass deportations– such as those of hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador-and tighter student visa controls.
Trump has long campaigned on a “security-first” immigration policy. In an October 2023 speech, he promised to ban travelers from conflict zones like Gaza, Libya, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen. On January 20, 2025, he signed an executive order mandating intensified vetting of all foreigners entering the U.S., a move that laid the groundwork for the current restrictions.
As the proclamation stirs fresh debates over human rights, national security and global diplomacy, critics say it risks isolating vulnerable populations while doing little to address root causes of insecurity. Still, Trump’s administration insists the travel ban is a critical step in safeguarding American citizens.
Whether new legal challenges will emerge- as happened with his earlier travel ban- remains unclear. But for many from the affected nations, the message is clear: the path to the U.S. has once again become more uncertain.
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