United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping travel ban that targets citizens of 12 countries, with Africa emerging as the most affected continent.
Among the hardest hit includes; Congo-Brazzaville, Chad, Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Equatorial Guinea, all of which face a complete ban on entry into the U.S.
The policy, which takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m., also imposes new visa restrictions on travelers from Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Togo, alongside Cuba, Laos, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
This move marks a revival of one of Trump’s most controversial policies from earlier in his administration.
However, this time, the White House appears to be on firmer legal footing following previous support from the U.S. Supreme Court for similar executive actions.
President Trump, in a video statement released on social media platform X, tied the new restrictions to concerns over national security, citing Sunday’s terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, as justification.
“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” he said.
“The list could be revised if material improvements are made and additional countries could be added as threats emerge around the world.”
Meanwhile, the suspect in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump’s restricted list. The Department of Homeland Security says he overstayed a tourist visa.
In total, the full entry ban affects Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and the aforementioned African nations.
In a statement, the White House defended the move, calling the measures “common-sense restrictions” aimed at protecting U.S. citizens from “dangerous foreign actors.”
