President Donald Trump has enacted a significant new travel ban, with a proclamation reportedly signed on May 4, 2025, and set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on June 9, 2025. The White House cited national security risks as the primary driver for these stringent measures, with the finalization of the proclamation reportedly accelerated by a terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, on May 4, 2025, where an Egyptian citizen allegedly injured twelve people during an attack on a group supporting Israeli hostages.

The new policy imposes a full travel ban on nationals from twelve countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Among these, seven are African nations. Additionally, partial travel restrictions, affecting certain visa categories such as temporary work and visitor visas, will apply to citizens from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Three of these nations with partial restrictions are African, bringing the total number of affected African countries to ten. The stated reasons for these restrictions include concerns over inadequate security screening, high visa overstay rates, and a failure by the listed countries to comply with U.S. information-sharing protocols.

Despite the broad restrictions, certain exemptions have been outlined. These include provisions for athletes traveling for major sporting events like the 2026 World Cup or the 2028 Olympics, holders of immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran, and Afghan nationals holding Special Immigrant Visas. Lawful permanent residents of the United States and dual nationals holding citizenship in countries not included in the travel ban are also exempt. Furthermore, the Secretary of State retains the authority to grant exemptions on a case-by-case basis if an individual's entry is deemed to serve United States national interests.

This travel ban is reminiscent of President Trump's previous executive orders on immigration, including a controversial 2017 ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries. That earlier policy was revised, later upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018, and subsequently rescinded by President Joe Biden in 2021. Trump's current immigration policy continues to emphasize strict border security, considerations for mass deportations, and enhanced vetting measures. As part of these enhanced measures, directives issued in March 2024 reportedly require Green Card applicants to disclose their social media history. President Trump has also indicated that the list of restricted nations is not static and could be revised based on evolving threats or if countries make