President Donald Trump has signed a new immigration order barring entry to nationals from 12 countries, citing national security and visa overstay concerns. The affected countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the move was prompted by a recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. The attacker, born in Egypt, had entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2022, later applied for asylum, and remained in the country illegally after his work authorization expired. Trump blamed weak immigration enforcement and inadequate vetting for the incident.
The proclamation also imposes partial entry restrictions on nationals from seven additional countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Trump cited either national security threats or high visa overstay rates as justification for the restrictions.
Trump emphasized that individuals who overstay visas or exploit temporary legal pathways present “extreme dangers” to the country. He stated, “We don’t want them,” while criticizing the Biden administration for its handling of immigration enforcement.
This latest directive is part of Trump’s broader immigration crackdown, which has included sweeping arrests and deportations. It also revives elements of his first-term travel ban, which targeted several Muslim-majority nations and was later repealed by President Joe Biden, who called it discriminatory.
Trump’s renewed immigration policies are expected to be a central focus of his 2024 campaign, appealing to voters concerned about border security and illegal immigration.
This order marks a significant step in Trump's ongoing efforts to reshape U.S. immigration policy and tighten entry requirements amid rising concerns over national safety and visa abuse.