Los Angeles: U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to ban travel from certain countries on Wednesday evening, citing national security risks.
According to a release by the White House, the proclamation will fully ban the entry of nationals from 12 countries, namely Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
These countries were found “to be deficient with regards to screening and vetting and determined to pose a very high risk to the United States,” the release read.
Meanwhile, the proclamation will partially restrict the entry of nationals from seven countries — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
The travel ban is scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. next Monday.
“The restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives,” the White House said.
Exceptions to the ban include lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests.
During his first term, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven countries, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. Former President Joe Biden reversed the ban in 2021.
