U.S. President Trump signed an executive order earlier this week, announcing a ban on citizens from 12 countries entering the United States and partial entry restrictions on citizens from 7 other countries. The ban will officially take effect at 0:00 Eastern Time on June 9, 2025.
Trump Ban List
According to the White House statement, the 12 countries facing a complete entry ban are: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Citizens from 7 other countries will face partial entry restrictions, prohibiting entry as immigrants or with specific non-immigrant visas (B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, J visas), with the validity of other non-immigrant visas shortened. These countries include: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Reasons and Policy Basis for the Ban
The White House stated that the ban is to "protect the American people from dangerous foreign forces" and is a "common-sense restriction".
Trump specifically mentioned the recent terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado (carried out by an Egyptian citizen, causing 12 injuries) on his personal social platform Truth Social, emphasizing that unscreened foreign individuals could bring "extreme danger". The White House pointed out that these restricted countries have insufficient screening and review mechanisms, with high visa overstay rates, political instability, terrorism risks, and some countries (like Iran and Cuba) being listed as state sponsors of terrorism or refusing to accept deported nationals, unable to effectively share identity and security information.
However, it's worth noting that the ban includes the following exemptions, allowing certain individuals to enter:
- Athletes and their accompanying personnel participating in major sporting events like the 2026 World Cup or 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
- Those with immigrant visas for Iranian minority or religious persecution.
- Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders.
- U.S. legal permanent residents (green card holders).
- Dual nationals holding passports from non-restricted countries.
- Those approved by the Secretary of State on a case-by-case basis as being in the U.S. national interest.
Domestic and International Reactions
The U.S. Democratic Party strongly opposed Trump's ban, with Washington State Representative Jayapal criticizing it as an extension of the first-term "Muslim ban" that would further isolate the United States internationally. Virginia State Legislator Byer also believed the ban betrays the founding principles of the United States.
Simultaneously, the U.S. branch of Amnesty International and Human Rights First condemned the ban as "discriminatory" and "racist", posing a threat to immigrants and asylum seekers.
Internationally, Somali Ambassador to the U.S. Abdi stated that Somalia values its relationship with the U.S. and promises to cooperate on security issues. Venezuela's Interior Minister Cavello warned that the U.S. is a "high-risk place" for everyone, not just Venezuelans.
Perspective: Trump Intends to Implement the Ban Long-term
Regarding this ban, several BBC reporters also published independent observations, including:
- More Sophisticated Long-term Policy: Compared to the 2017 ban on Muslim countries (which faced lawsuits for religious discrimination), the new ban is more cautious, based on overstay rates and political instability, aligning with the Supreme Court-approved version and having no expiration date, suggesting Trump's intention for long-term implementation.
- Fulfilling Campaign Promises: Reporters noted that the ban fulfills Trump's 2024 campaign promise, specifically targeting immigration sources during Biden's term (like Cuba and Venezuela), demonstrating his team's determination to "keep their word".
- Harming Burmese Democracy Activists: Reporters criticized including Burma in the ban as baseless, as there's no evidence that Burmese citizens pose a threat to the U.S. Instead, it may harm Burmese democracy activists seeking asylum in the U.S. and potentially affect the rights of 250,000 Burmese refugees in the country.
