President Donald Trump has signed a new travel ban restricting travel to the U.S. from 19 countries with “hostile attitudes” or a “significant terrorist presence,” a policy reminiscent of the deeply controversial “Muslim travel ban” he introduced during his first term.
Effective June 9, travel will be fully restricted from 12 nations: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Partial restrictions will apply to seven others: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Issuing the presidential proclamation via a video statement on Wednesday, Trump cited Sunday’s firebomb attack on peaceful protesters in Boulder, Colorado, by a man alleged to be an Egyptian citizen in the country on an expired visa, as justification for the ban, saying Americans face “extreme danger” from foreign nationals “who are not properly vetted.”
Lawful permanent residents, athletes traveling for the World Cup and Olympics and those who have already been granted asylum or refugee status are among the limited exceptions to the restrictions.
Others with immediate family member visas, dual citizenship with a non-restricted passport and United Nations and Nato visas are also exempt.
