President Donald Trump’s new travel ban went into effect Monday, targeting citizens from 12 primarily African and Middle Eastern countries amid increasing tensions over his intensified immigration enforcement efforts. The proclamation, signed last week, restricts entry for people from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
It also tightens rules for travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela who are outside the U.S. without valid visas.
The ban does not cancel visas already issued to individuals from these countries, according to guidance sent to U.S. diplomatic missions, but visa applications will be denied unless they meet strict exemption criteria starting Monday.
Travelers with existing valid visas are expected to be allowed entry despite the new restrictions.
Unlike Trump’s earlier travel ban during his first term, which caused chaos and faced legal challenges, no immediate disruptions were reported at major airports like Los Angeles International Airport after the latest ban took effect.
Haitian-American Elvanise Louis-Juste, at Newark Airport awaiting a flight, expressed concern about the impact on Haitians fleeing violence, calling the ban “very upsetting.”
Experts note the new ban is more carefully designed to withstand court scrutiny by focusing on visa application procedures.
Trump justified the ban by citing “deficient” passport screening and countries’ refusal to repatriate their citizens, relying heavily on a Homeland Security report tracking visa overstays since 2016. The proclamation references overstay rates for eight of the twelve banned nations.
Trump also linked the ban to a recent terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, involving a suspect who overstayed his visa; however, the attacker was from Egypt, which is not included in the ban.
Refugee and aid groups condemned the policy as divisive and harmful to vulnerable communities seeking safety in the U.S. The inclusion of Afghanistan upset supporters who have helped resettle many Afghans, though exemptions apply for Afghans holding Special Immigrant Visas—those who worked closely with the U.S. during the two-decade conflict there.
Afghanistan has been one of the top refugee resettlement sources, with about 14,000 arrivals in the 12 months ending September 2024.
Refugee resettlement was suspended by Trump on his first day in office.
