Trump revives travel ban, targets 12 nations after Colorado attack

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday night signed a proclamation barring entry to individuals from 12 countries, reviving a highly controversial policy from his first term. The move follows an attack in Boulder, Colorado, where a pro-Israeli march was targeted.

 

The second-term travel ban affects nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The measure also imposes partial restrictions on travellers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, reports Bloomberg. The ban will take effect from 12:01 am (local time) on Monday.

 

Trump blamed former President Joe Biden’s immigration policies for allowing the suspect in the Boulder attack, an Egyptian national who had overstayed his visa, to remain in the US. Witnesses reported the assailant used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device during the assault.     

“We cannot allow unrestricted migration from nations where proper screening cannot be guaranteed,” President Donald Trump said. “That’s why I am signing a new executive order imposing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and several others.” 

Exemptions to the travel ban

President Donald Trump’s newly signed travel ban will not apply to individuals who already hold valid US visas, lawful permanent residents, or delegations attending international events such as the World Cup or the Olympics. Exemptions also include those granted special visas for aiding US military efforts in Afghanistan or fleeing persecution in Iran.

 

During his first term, Trump imposed travel restrictions on nationals from Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. The latest order adds Afghanistan to the list, following the administration’s suspension of the US refugee resettlement programme and a freeze on federal support for Afghan relocation efforts.

 

In a separate move, Trump issued a proclamation suspending visas for foreign students seeking to enrol in exchange programmes at Harvard University. The administration has repeatedly criticised the university, alleging a liberal bias and inadequate efforts to combat antisemitism.

Renewed travel ban advances Trump’s immigration agenda

The renewed travel ban is the latest step in President Trump’s aggressive immigration agenda, which has focused on curbing undocumented migration, accelerating deportations, and completing the construction of the US–Mexico border wall—initiatives he has highlighted throughout his 2024 presidential campaign. 

 

Soon after returning to office, Trump directed top officials, including the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and the Director of National Intelligence, to identify countries with insufficient vetting systems, paving the way for partial or full suspensions on entry to the US from those nations.

Legal challenges and history of the travel ban

The revised travel ban is expected to face legal challenges, much like the original version issued in 2017, which drew widespread protests, airport chaos, and court battles. That ban barred entry from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days, triggering a wave of global backlash. The order, widely referred to as the ‘Muslim ban’ or ‘travel ban’, was revised multiple times in response to legal challenges before a final version was upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018, reports PTI. The ban applied to several categories of travellers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, as well as North Korean nationals and certain Venezuelan government officials and their families. 

 

President Joe Biden, in one of his first actions after taking office in 2021, repealed the Trump-era travel ban. During his 2024 campaign, Trump vowed to reinstate the travel ban and expand it to include refugees from Gaza if re-elected. His latest move fulfils a central promise of his agenda.

Tariffs and policy moves to curb undocumented migration

Since returning to office, Trump has declared a national emergency at the southern border and ordered the Pentagon to deploy additional resources to manage the situation. His administration has intensified deportations of undocumented migrants and sought to end birthright citizenship for children born in the US to parents residing illegally—an effort currently stalled in the courts amid legal challenges. 

 

Trump has also used tariffs to pressure Mexico and Canada to strengthen border security and instructed federal agencies to identify government-funded programmes that offer benefits to undocumented migrants.