By Habeeb Ibrahim
The United States has announced a sweeping entry ban on citizens of 12 countries, with partial restrictions placed on seven others. The policy is set to take effect on June 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
The countries facing full travel restrictions are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition, citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will face limited entry restrictions.
According to the official proclamation, the decision was based on national security assessments related to terrorism threats, unreliable identity verification, poor criminal data-sharing systems, and high rates of visa overstays.
The U.S. administration stated that the list of countries may be updated depending on future assessments. The policy is part of a broader effort to tighten immigration controls and enhance foreign visitor vetting.
A similar travel ban enacted during a previous administration in 2017 was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 but later revoked in 2021. The current measure marks a return to more restrictive immigration policies, particularly targeting countries with perceived security risks and weak cooperation on identity verification.
