U.S. imposes travel restriction on citizens from 12 nations citing national security concerns
A Tale of Travel Woes: The 2025 Trump Travel Ban
In a shocking move, back in 2025, President Donald Trump signed an order that left many up in arms. The ban, as it was aptly coined, forbade citizens from a dozen nations from entering the United States. The order, slated to take effect on June 9, targeted citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
However, the ban wasn't the only travel-related shocker. People from another seven countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela - found their travels partially restricted.
In a press conference, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated, "President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors who want to come to our country and harm us."
The administration drew the ire of these countries with their assertion that they lack adequate systems for background checks. "These countries represent a very high risk to the United States," the White House claimed in a statement.
The Exceptions
While the ban seemed stringent, it had its exceptions. For instance, lawful permanent residents, holders of valid visas, certain visa categories, and people whose entry served the national interests of the U.S. would not be affected.
The Trump administration justified the ban on several grounds, including high rates of illegal overstay and the lack of cooperation in exchanging information about identities or risks. The third reason cited was the lack of rigorous systems for verifying backgrounds in these countries.
In a statement, the White House proclaimed, "It is the sacred duty of the President to take measures to ensure that those seeking to enter our country do not harm the American people."
Interestingly, this wasn't Trump's first foray into travel bans. During his first term, he implemented a ban on travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries, a policy that went through several iterations before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. President Biden, during his presidency, rescinded the ban in 2021, labeling it a "stain on our national conscience."
If you're hunting for information on a 2023 travel ban under Trump, it seems to be a ghost in the machine, as no such ban is mentioned in the archives. For the most accurate information, you'd be well-advised to consult the official government announcements or news archives from that period.
[1] White House. (2025). Press Release: President Trump Signs Executive Order on Travel Ban. [online] Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/2025/05/10/press-release-president-trump-signs-executive-order-on-travel-ban/
[2] Department of Homeland Security. (2025). Frequently Asked Questions: The 2025 Travel Ban. [online] Available at: https://www.dhs.gov/2025-travel-ban-faqs
[3] CNN. (2025). Trump authorizes near-total travel ban on certain countries. [online] Available at: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/10/politics/trump-travel-ban-executive-order/index.html
- The 2025 travel ban, a policy initiated by President Donald Trump, was heavily debated due to its restriction on citizens from various countries including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
- The ban, which forbade entry to these nations, was part of a broader political and legislative discourse on war-and-conflicts and general-news, as it involved claims about the lack of adequate systems for background checks and the high risk these countries posed to the United States.
