U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order imposing travel restrictions on citizens from 12 countries, marking a controversial return to one of the most criticized policies of his first term in office.
The order was signed on Wednesday and will take effect from the coming Monday.
The countries affected by the full travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition to the comprehensive ban, Trump has also issued partial travel restrictions on seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
According to a statement from the White House, both bans are set to be enforced starting Monday.
In a video message posted on social media platform X, President Trump cited a recent attack in Colorado as the rationale behind the executive order.
He referred to an incident at a Jewish rally in Boulder, Colorado, where a petrol bomb was thrown. Authorities stated that the suspect, who was arrested at the scene, was residing in the U.S. illegally and is a citizen of Egypt.
Although Trump mentioned the attack as a justification, Egypt is not included in the list of countries facing the travel ban, raising questions about the criteria used to determine the list.
Furthermore, the President signed another executive order imposing new restrictions on the issuance of student visas to foreign nationals, particularly targeting international students applying to prestigious institutions such as Harvard University.
Critics have already begun to voice concern over the sweeping nature of the bans, warning that such measures may disproportionately affect refugees, students, and families seeking reunification.
Supporters argue that the move is a necessary step to strengthen national security amid growing global instability.
This latest move is expected to ignite legal challenges and political debate, much like Trump`s 2017 travel ban that faced widespread backlash and was eventually modified after a series of court battles.
