The sweeping new travel ban enacted by US President Donald Trump went into effect immediately after midnight, prohibiting citizens from twelve nations from entering the United States and reinstating a contentious measure from his initial term.
This action is anticipated to disrupt refugee pathways and intensify immigration restrictions as the Trump administration broadens its crackdown on illegal entries.
Many of the countries affected by the ban have strained relations with the United States, including Iran and Afghanistan, while others are experiencing severe crises, such as Haiti and Libya.
In announcing these restrictions last week, Mr. Trump indicated that the measure was prompted by a recent “terrorist attack” on Jewish individuals in Colorado.
The group was protesting in solidarity with hostages in Gaza when they were attacked by an individual whom the White House stated had overstayed his visa.
Mr. Trump remarked that this incident “highlighted the severe risks posed to our nation by the entry of foreign nationals who are not adequately vetted” or who overstay their visas.
The ban prohibits all travel to the United States by nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, according to the White House.
A partial ban has also been placed on travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, though some temporary work visas from these countries will be permitted.
Mr. Trump cautioned that additional countries could be included “as threats materialize worldwide.”
Mehria, a 23-year-old woman from Afghanistan seeking refugee status, shared that the new regulations have left her and many other Afghans in a state of uncertainty.
“We sacrificed thousands of hopes and our entire lives… based on a promise from America, yet today we are enduring one hardship after another,” she expressed.
Exclusions for World Cup, Olympics, and Diplomats
The ban will not affect athletes participating in the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, nor in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as stated in Mr. Trump’s order.
Additionally, diplomats from the affected countries will be exempt from the ban.
Volker Turk, the United Nations rights chief, cautioned that “the broad and sweeping nature of the new travel ban raises concerns regarding international law.”
Democrats condemned the ban as draconian and unconstitutional.
“I understand the pain inflicted by Trump’s cruel and xenophobic travel bans, as my own family has experienced it firsthand,” Iranian-American congresswoman Yassamin Ansari shared on X.
“We will oppose this ban with all our strength.”
Speculations surrounding a new travel ban had emerged following the Colorado incident, with Mr. Trump’s administration vowing to pursue “terrorists” residing in the United States on visas.
US officials reported that the suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national according to court documents, was in the country illegally after overstaying a tourist visa, though he had applied for asylum in September 2022.
Notably, Mr. Trump’s new travel ban does not include Egypt.
His proclamation indicated that Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and war-torn Libya, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen lacked “competent” central authorities for passport processing and vetting.
Iran was included due to its designation as a “state sponsor of terrorism,” as stated in the order.
For the other countries, Mr. Trump’s order cited an above-average likelihood that individuals would overstay their visas.
