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A new travel ban signed by President Donald Trump took effect Monday, targeting citizens from 12 African and Middle Eastern countries and escalating tensions over the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement.
The proclamation, signed last week, blocks visa applications from citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additionally, travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela face heightened restrictions if they are currently outside the U.S. and lack valid visas.
Exemptions and Legal Strategy
The ban does not revoke existing visas, according to guidance issued to U.S. embassies and consulates on Friday. But unless visa applicants qualify for narrow exemptions, their applications will be rejected going forward.
Immigration experts note that unlike the chaotic 2017 rollout of Trump’s original travel ban — which led to legal defeats and widespread airport protests — this version appears more carefully crafted. By embedding the ban within the visa application system, the administration aims to avoid prior legal pitfalls.
“This policy is not about national security — it is about sowing division,” said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America. “It vilifies communities that are simply seeking safety and opportunity.”
A Focus on Overstays and Security
The administration justified the new restrictions by citing “deficient” identity screening procedures in the affected countries and high visa overstay rates, as outlined in annual Department of Homeland Security reports. Eight of the twelve banned countries were singled out for excessive overstays.
President Trump also tied the move to a recent terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, allegedly committed by a man who overstayed his tourist visa. However, that individual was from Egypt, which is not on the list of restricted countries.
Global and Domestic Backlash
The Africa Union issued a rare rebuke Thursday, calling for a more “consultative approach” and warning of the ban’s damage to decades of diplomatic, educational, and commercial ties.
“We are concerned about the potential negative impact on people-to-people ties,” the AU said in its statement.
At Los Angeles International Airport, no immediate disruptions were reported after the policy took effect. But travelers like Elvanise Louis-Juste, a Haitian-American woman traveling through Newark, voiced deep concern.
“I have family in Haiti, so it’s pretty upsetting,” said Louis-Juste, 23. “I don’t think it’s a good thing. I think it’s very upsetting.”
Impact on Afghan and Haitian Refugees
The inclusion of Afghanistan — a major source of recent refugees — sparked outrage among veterans, aid workers, and others involved in resettlement efforts. While the proclamation exempts Afghans on Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), the broader ban complicates processing for many.
In the 12 months through September 2024, more than 14,000 Afghan refugees were resettled in the U.S., many fleeing Taliban retaliation after aiding U.S. forces during the 20-year war.
Trump previously suspended all refugee resettlement on his first day in office, and critics say the latest move is part of a broader agenda to shut America’s doors to immigrants from poor and conflict-ridden nations.
Looking Ahead
Though framed as a national security measure, the new travel ban has drawn comparisons to earlier efforts by the Trump administration to limit immigration from Muslim-majority and African countries — efforts that were repeatedly challenged in court.
With mounting legal scrutiny and global condemnation, this latest move may again find itself at the center of a high-stakes judicial and political battle.
“This is not about keeping Americans safe,” Maxman added. “It’s about scoring political points at the expense of human lives.”
