Photo credit: White House

In a move aimed at reinforcing the United State’s defenses against terrorism and other threats, President Donald J. Trump signed a new Proclamation on June 4, 2025, placing targeted entry restrictions on foreign nationals from nearly 20 countries.

The action is rooted in a comprehensive security review ordered under Executive Order 14161, titled “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” issued on President Trump’s first day back in office.

This latest directive, which builds upon and updates the 2017 travel ban upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Trump v. Hawaii, underscores the administration’s commitment to bolstering the country’s screening and vetting measures for incoming travelers.

A Risk-Based Approach to Immigration

Following months of review by national security and intelligence agencies, the President determined that nationals from certain countries pose a disproportionately high risk due to weak or absent identity management systems, poor cooperation in vetting, or the presence of terrorist networks. As a result, 12 countries—including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, and Yemen—will face full entry suspensions for most visa categories. Another seven countries, such as Cuba, Venezuela, and Laos, will see partial suspensions, mainly targeting tourist, business, and student visa holders.

“These are not arbitrary choices,” the White House explained. “Each country on the list has demonstrated significant shortcomings in security cooperation or has shown elevated visa overstay rates, making it necessary to act in the interest of public safety.”

The new policy does include exceptions for lawful permanent residents, current visa holders, certain visa classes, and individuals whose entry is deemed in the national interest.

National Security Justifications

The administration provided detailed justifications for each country facing restrictions. Some, like Iran and Cuba, were cited for their designation as state sponsors of terrorism and refusal to cooperate with U.S. law enforcement on repatriation matters. Others, such as Chad and Equatorial Guinea, were flagged for extraordinarily high visa overstay rates—exceeding 40% in some cases—suggesting a disregard for U.S. immigration rules.

Somalia and Afghanistan, meanwhile, were identified as failed states with significant terrorist activity and a lack of reliable civil documentation systems. According to the administration, these conditions severely limit the U.S. government’s ability to verify identities and screen for threats prior to entry.

Encouraging International Cooperation

The Proclamation is also intended to encourage foreign governments to improve their screening and vetting systems. By applying country-specific restrictions, the administration hopes to incentivize better cooperation on information sharing and border security.

“The goal is not to shut the door permanently,” said a senior administration official. “Rather, it’s to protect the American people while encouraging these countries to meet basic security standards.”

Reaffirming a First-Term Promise

President Trump emphasized that this policy delivers on a key campaign promise to reestablish the travel ban in a form that meets current global threats. “We will restore the travel ban,” he said in a recent speech, “and keep radical Islamic terrorists out of our country—just like the Supreme Court already confirmed we have the right to do.”

The move is likely to reignite debates around immigration and national security, but the administration maintains that it is acting within its legal authority and with clear justification rooted in national interest.

As the global security landscape continues to evolve, the Trump administration’s new entry restrictions mark a decisive step in what it calls a “common-sense security strategy”—one that it says is not just about who enters the country, but how the United States ensures its borders remain safe in a dangerous world.