A sweeping U.S. travel ban targeting citizens from 12 countries will go into effect early Monday, following an executive order by President Donald Trump citing national security and terrorism concerns.
Starting at 12:01 a.m. ET, travelers from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen will be barred from entering the U.S. The order also imposes partial restrictions on citizens from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Trump said the restrictions target countries with a “large-scale presence of terrorists,” poor identity verification systems, and inadequate visa cooperation. He pointed to last week’s firebomb attack at a pro-Israel rally in Colorado—allegedly carried out by an Egyptian national—as justification, though Egypt is not on the list.
The policy echoes Trump’s controversial 2017 travel ban, which blocked entry from several Muslim-majority countries.
The move sparked backlash from affected nations and U.S. lawmakers. Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno announced a visa freeze for U.S. citizens in response, saying, “Chad has its dignity and pride.” Afghan citizens who worked for the U.S. expressed fear they may be forced to return home under Taliban rule.
Democrats also condemned the ban. “Draconian and unconstitutional,” tweeted Representative Ro Khanna. “People have a right to seek asylum.”