• 05 Jun, 2025
• FAITH MIMDOO KEGH
• No comment

Trump Expands Travel Ban to 12 Countries, Citing Security Risks.

President Donald Trump has issued a new proclamation barring citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States, citing national security concerns

. The ban, which will take effect on June 9, 2025, applies to individuals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

In addition to these full bans, partial travel restrictions have been imposed on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

According to the proclamation, certain exemptions will apply, including athletes attending major sporting events, some Afghan nationals, and dual citizens who also hold passports from countries not affected by the ban.

Trump defended the action by stating that it is aimed at preventing individuals who might pose a security threat from entering the country. “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen,” he said in a video message posted on X.

The White House explained that the affected countries were identified based on several risk factors, including a strong presence of terrorist groups, weak cooperation on visa security, and unreliable traveler identification systems. Additional concerns included inadequate criminal record-keeping and high rates of visa overstays.

This proclamation is part of Trump’s broader immigration policy, which intensified after he began his second term. Earlier this year, on January 20, he signed an executive order requiring stricter vetting of foreign nationals and tasked federal agencies with assessing which countries lack adequate screening systems.

This latest directive is reminiscent of Trump’s first-term travel ban in 2017, which initially targeted several Muslim-majority countries and was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. That ban was later revoked by President Joe Biden in 2021, who criticized it as discriminatory.

FAITH MIMDOO KEGH

Manager – Oversees the daily operations, editorial planning, and strategic direction of the platform. A graduate with a solid academic foundation in media and communication, Faith brings a wealth of experience to the TokinPoint.

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