• President Trump’s new travel ban effectively restricts entry from twelve countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, and Libya.
• The ban also partially restricts entry for nationals from several other countries, citing national security concerns.
• Critics claim the ban targets vulnerable populations and raises serious legal and ethical questions.
• The restrictions come amid heightened political tensions and protests across the U.S. related to immigration enforcement.
• Existing visa holders from the affected countries are largely unaffected, but new applications face significant challenges.

President Donald Trump's new travel ban took effect at 12:01 AM ET on June 9, 2025, prohibiting nationals from twelve countries from entering the United States. The ban targets citizens from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, while also imposing partial restrictions on entry from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, according to Reuters, Channel News Asia, and India Times.

During his announcement, Trump emphasized that the ban is intended to protect Americans from "foreign terrorists," highlighting his administration's ongoing efforts to tighten immigration policies. In his justification, he referenced a recent incendiary attack in Boulder, Colorado, carried out by an Egyptian national who had overstayed his visa, despite Egypt not being included in the ban, as per statements from BBC and South China Morning Post.

Opposition to the travel ban has been fierce, with many referring to it as discriminatory, particularly against Muslim-majority countries. Democratic lawmakers expressed their disapproval and concerns regarding its constitutionality, stating it could further isolate the U.S. internationally. For example, Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari criticized the ban on social media for its xenophobic implications, as reported by NPR and Los Angeles Times.

The policy is designed to avoid the chaos experienced during the initial travel ban of 2017, which faced numerous legal challenges and public outcry. Experts believe that the current ban is better structured to withstand legal scrutiny, largely due to prior Supreme Court rulings that upheld earlier versions of Trump's immigration policies, according to The Hill and Middle East Eye.

The travel ban is expected to have immediate effects, particularly on ongoing visa applications from affected countries, with new applicants facing denial unless they qualify for specific exemptions. Current visa holders and lawful permanent residents are not affected and can still enter the U.S., as informed by both the Al Jazeera and Dawn.

Responses from affected countries have varied; for instance, the government of Chad announced it would suspend visas for U.S. citizens in retaliation, while humanitarian groups expressed their disappointment over the new restrictions that they argue exacerbate refugee crises, according to Africa News and Anadolu Agency.