President Donald Trump’s expanded immigration order prohibiting entry for citizens from 12 designated nations took effect Monday, June 9, 2025.
The policy triggered nationwide protests and legal challenges while drawing condemnation from human rights organizations as one of the broadest immigration restrictions enacted in years.
The ban fully bars nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Citizens of seven additional countries—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—face partial restrictions primarily affecting nonimmigrant visas. The order applies at all U.S. ports of entry and consular offices but does not revoke existing valid visas.
Airport operations proceeded without significant disruption, contrasting with the chaotic implementation of Trump’s 2017 travel ban. Immigration analysts attribute this stability to refined legal language focusing on administrative vetting processes. “Unlike 2017, this ban was built with legal survival in mind,” stated a senior immigration law analyst.
Trump defended the policy citing national security concerns and “deficient passport screening” from countries with high visa overstay rates. He referenced a recent Colorado hate crime involving a foreign national, though the suspect was from Egypt, a country not included in the ban.
Massive protests erupted in multiple cities, including Los Angeles where National Guard deployment prompted California’s governor to condemn federal overreach. Abby Maxman, President of Oxfam America, declared: “This policy is not about national security; it is about sowing division and vilifying communities seeking safety and opportunity in the United States.”
Haitian and Afghan citizens face near-total bans with narrow exemptions for those supporting U.S. missions. Venezuelans confront heightened restrictions including rapid deportations, with reports indicating some detainees were transferred to a facility in El Salvador. Trump warned additional countries could be added as global threats evolve.
The 2025 ban expands upon earlier iterations repeatedly challenged in federal courts, reflecting ongoing tension between executive immigration powers and constitutional protections against discrimination.
