President Donald Trump has announced a proclamation that restricts entry into the United States for nationals from 19 countries, reviving a controversial policy from his first term. Starting Monday, the directive fully bans entry for nationals from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additionally, it imposes partial bans and visa restrictions for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
This new proclamation echoes previous travel restrictions implemented by Trump, targeting many of the same countries, including Iran, Libya, and Venezuela. In fiscal year 2023, around 139,000 visas were issued to visitors from these countries, with the highest number granted to Venezuelans. The majority of these visas were for tourism and business purposes.
Trump’s proclamation cites concerns over security and terrorism as primary reasons for the restrictions, particularly focusing on visitors overstaying their visas. However, data from the Department of Homeland Security indicates that, although some countries do have high overstay rates, the actual number of people overstaying their visas is comparatively low. For instance, despite Eritrea having the second-highest overstay rate, only about 200 individuals overstayed, far fewer than those from Mexico, India, or Brazil.
This policy is expected to reignite debates over immigration and security in the U.S., particularly regarding its impact on affected nations and the broader implications for international relations.
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