Trump’s new travel ban takes effect, targeting 12 countries

US President Donald Trump’s latest travel ban officially came into force on June 9, barring entry to citizens from 12 countries and placing partial restrictions on nationals from seven others. The policy marks one of the administration’s most expansive immigration measures to date.

The proclamation affects travelers from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Partial restrictions have been placed on citizens from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Speaking in a video released on June 4, Trump warned that the list could expand further. 

“Threats emerge around the world,” he said, “and new countries could be added.”

The policy follows more than eight years after Trump’s first travel ban in 2017, which targeted several Muslim-majority nations and sparked nationwide airport protests and a wave of legal challenges. This time, however, no immediate disruption was reported at airports or ports of entry.

Experts say the new directive, broader in scope and more narrowly written than the 2017 order, is likely to better withstand legal scrutiny. Unlike the earlier ban, the current version emphasises visa procedures and does not revoke previously issued visas. Citizens from the listed countries who already hold valid visas will still be allowed to enter. However, new visa applications will be denied unless they meet specific exemption criteria.

The rollout of the policy has coincided with rising tensions over immigration enforcement. In Los Angeles, widespread protests erupted over Trump’s deportation raids, prompting the deployment of the National Guard despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The ban particularly targets Haiti and Afghanistan, although the administration has made exceptions for Afghans who cooperated with US forces during the two-decade war.

“This policy is not about national security — it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,” said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America.

Venezuelan nationals have also come under increasing pressure under Trump’s administration. In recent months, Venezuelans have faced abrupt deportations to a detention facility in El Salvador — a move that has prompted legal action.

Trump has defended the policy by citing security concerns, claiming that some countries on the list have “deficient” screening procedures or have refused to repatriate their own citizens. He argued the targeted countries pose “terrorism-related” and “public-safety” risks, and also raise concerns about visa overstays.

Trump linked the new restrictions to a recent hate crime attack in Colorado that left a dozen people injured. The suspect in that case is an Egyptian national — though Egypt is not among the countries listed in the ban.

By Sabina Mammadli