President Donald Trump signs a proclamation banning travel from 12 nations and restricting entry from 7 others, citing national security threats after a terror attack in Colorado. The policy revives Trump’s earlier immigration stance, emphasizing stricter vetting and border control to protect Americans from foreign security threats.
former U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping proclamation banning entry from 12 countries and restricting travelers from seven others. The announcement follows a deadly terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, and has reignited national debates around immigration, vetting processes, and border security.
The proclamation, issued late Wednesday night, comes in the aftermath of a violent terrorist attack in Boulder, where participants of a peaceful rally calling for the safe return of Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity were targeted. The attack left multiple casualties and was allegedly carried out by Mohammed Sabry Solima, a foreign national who entered the U.S. during the Biden Administration and overstayed his visa.
In a video address, Trump stated, “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, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas. We don’t want them.”
The move is reminiscent of Trump’s earlier travel bans during his first term in office, which faced legal challenges and were eventually rescinded by President Joe Biden. The new proclamation, however, appears to go further in scope and rationale.
Nations Affected
According to the proclamation, entry into the United States is fully banned for nationals from the following 12 countries:
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Afghanistan
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Burma (Myanmar)
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Chad
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Congo
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Equatorial Guinea
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Eritrea
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Haiti
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Iran
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Libya
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Somalia
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Sudan
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Yemen
These countries were cited for their inability or unwillingness to provide adequate identity verification, intelligence sharing, or efforts to control visa overstays.
Additionally, seven other countries face partial restrictions, limiting the types of visas their nationals can apply for. These countries include:
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Burundi
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Cuba
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Laos
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Sierra Leone
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Togo
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Turkmenistan
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Venezuela
The restrictions are aimed at addressing systemic failures in sharing identity-related information, poor passport security, and high rates of visa overstays.
White House Response
White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson defended the decision on social media, calling it a “commonsense” measure. She wrote, “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.”
Jackson emphasized that the restrictions are not blanket bans against specific religions or ethnicities but are strategic and data-driven decisions based on security assessments.
Homeland Security Perspective
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security echoed the sentiment, noting that individuals from certain nations have taken advantage of lax oversight in the past to enter the country illegally or overstay their visas. The case of Mohammed Sabry Solima, the Boulder attacker, was highlighted as a glaring example of such policy gaps.
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Political and Legal Implications
This new move may face legal and political scrutiny similar to Trump’s original travel bans, which targeted seven majority-Muslim countries and were contested in courts. Critics argue that such proclamations may unfairly target specific regions and could strain diplomatic relations.
Supporters, however, believe that these measures are crucial to national defense, especially in the current geopolitical climate marked by rising global conflicts and terror threats.
As the 2024 election cycle heats up, Trump’s return to hardline immigration policies is already shaping political discourse. Whether this proclamation will stand legal tests or influence public sentiment remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: immigration and national security will remain pivotal issues in the American political landscape for the foreseeable future.
