U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new travel ban affecting 12 countries.
In addition, citizens from seven other nations will now face stricter entry restrictions into the United States.
The order, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, has been described by many as unexpected and painful.
Trump made the announcement through an official proclamation, stating, “I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people.”
His decision has reignited conversations around immigration, foreign policy, and global cooperation.
The 12 countries directly affected by the ban include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Meanwhile, visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will be subjected to tighter entry restrictions.
According to the U.S. government, the list was compiled based on a report from the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
These departments were instructed to assess countries for so-called “hostile attitudes” toward the U.S. and potential national security threats.
Interestingly, 10 of the 19 countries now affected are in Africa.
Nations such as Togo, Sierra Leone, and Equatorial Guinea countries not typically known for armed conflict or anti-Western sentiment were included, raising questions about the selection criteria.
This decision echoes Trump’s controversial 2017 executive order, which was widely labeled the “Muslim ban.”
That earlier policy targeted seven predominantly Muslim countries and was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018.
“This is not about targeting religion,” Trump said in 2017, but critics have consistently argued otherwise.
Therefore with this latest action, the discussion around fairness, global diplomacy, and U.S. immigration policy is set to continue.
