In a move echoing his first-term policies, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a new executive order imposing travel restrictions on 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, and Yemen. The announcement, made via a pre-recorded message from the Oval Office, comes in the wake of a violent attack in Colorado, which the administration cited as a key impetus behind the decision.
“The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted,” President Trump said in the video message posted on X.
The new directive includes full travel bans for nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additionally, partial restrictions have been placed on citizens from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. According to the White House, the restrictions will take effect beginning Monday.
“We Don’t Want Them”
Referring to the policy as a return to his “powerful” 2017 travel ban — which drew international criticism and legal scrutiny — Trump asserted that the new order is essential for national security.
“We will not let what happened in Europe happen in America,” he declared. “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen. That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others.”
President Trump emphasized that the administration is acting decisively to prevent future attacks, particularly by individuals who enter the U.S. through legal channels but evade proper vetting. “We don’t want them,” he said bluntly.
Fallout and International Response
Venezuela’s Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, responded sharply to the announcement, warning, “Being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans.”
The policy rollout took place just minutes after Trump addressed a crowd of approximately 3,000 political appointees from the White House balcony during a private “summer soiree.” In a break from precedent, the announcement was made without members of the press present.
Legal experts anticipate the new executive order will face swift court challenges, mirroring the protracted legal battles over Trump's first-term immigration measures.
“Dangerous Foreign Actors”
The decision follows mounting public pressure after a violent attack at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado. The suspect, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, is accused of launching incendiary devices and spraying flaming fuel into the crowd. Authorities say he overstayed a tourist visa and had applied for asylum in September 2022.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson defended the order, stating on X, “President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors that want to come to our country and cause us harm. These commonsense restrictions are country-specific and include places that lack proper vetting, exhibit high visa overstay rates, or fail to share identity and threat information.”
National Security Rationale
The executive order outlines security concerns country by country. For war-torn nations such as Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen, the administration argues that the absence of centralized governments or secure identification systems makes it impossible to screen applicants safely. Yemen, in particular, was highlighted as a zone of ongoing U.S. military operations due to its ties with Iranian-backed Houthi militants.
Iran was added due to its longstanding designation as a “state sponsor of terrorism,” despite continuing diplomatic efforts surrounding its nuclear program.
Other countries were flagged based on high visa overstay rates and failure to share security or identity data with U.S. authorities.
Ban on Harvard-Bound International Students
In a surprise addition to the day’s policy shifts, President Trump also announced a temporary suspension of student visa issuance for foreign nationals enrolling at Harvard University. While no official explanation was provided during the announcement, political observers view the move as part of Trump’s broader campaign against liberal academic institutions.
The sweeping nature of the new travel restrictions marks a significant escalation in the administration’s immigration stance — one that is likely to ignite fierce debate in the courts and on Capitol Hill in the days ahead.
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