WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new travel restrictions affecting 12 countries, citing Europe’s migration challenges as a cautionary tale and vowing to prevent what he described as similar “mistakes” in the United States.
The executive order, signed on June 4 and set to take effect June 9, bars entry to the U.S. for migrants from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additionally, individuals from seven other nations — including Cuba, Venezuela, and Laos — will face heightened restrictions.
“We will not let what happened in Europe happen in America,” Trump said in a video released alongside the order. “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen.”
The policy marks one of the most aggressive moves by the Trump administration to restrict immigration, expanding on the president’s longstanding pledge to tighten U.S. borders. Trump framed the action as a direct response to security concerns, pointing to a recent anti-Semitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, in which the suspect, an Egyptian national who had overstayed a tourist visa, allegedly attacked a pro-Israel demonstration with incendiary devices.
“The recent terror attack in Boulder has underscored the extreme dangers posed by foreign nationals who are not properly vetted,” Trump said. “We don’t want them.”
The attacker, identified as Mohammed Sabry Soliman, reportedly entered the country legally but became undocumented after applying for asylum in 2022. Federal officials now say Soliman’s case highlights vulnerabilities in the existing visa and asylum systems.
Administration: Ban Targets ‘High-Risk Countries’
White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson described the restrictions as “common sense” and said they target countries with “high visa overstay rates, inadequate identity-sharing agreements, or known terror threats.”
“These measures are about national security, not politics,” Jackson said in a statement. “The president is fulfilling his commitment to protect American lives.”
The list of banned countries includes several currently facing armed conflict or political instability, raising questions among humanitarian organizations about the impact on asylum seekers and refugees. However, administration officials have maintained that exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian needs.
Global Reaction and Ideological Alignment
The move is expected to draw international scrutiny, especially in Europe, where Trump has increasingly aligned his rhetoric with right-wing, anti-immigration parties.
Citing rising crime and strained social systems in countries like Germany and Sweden, Trump argued that the U.S. must act decisively to avoid similar outcomes. His administration recently expressed support for Dutch nationalist Geert Wilders and Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party — both controversial for their hardline positions on immigration.
Vice President JD Vance echoed Trump’s sentiments earlier this year at the Munich Security Conference, rebuking European leaders for what he described as ignoring their citizens’ opposition to mass migration.
“Contrary to what you might hear in Davos, citizens don’t think of themselves as interchangeable cogs in a global economy,” Vance said. “People are voting for leaders who promise to stop uncontrolled migration.”
Critics Warn of Discrimination and Legal Challenges
Immigration advocates have condemned the new order, calling it discriminatory and likely to face legal opposition. Several civil rights groups have pledged to challenge the executive order in court, arguing that it unfairly targets predominantly Muslim and African countries.
“This is a deeply troubling return to the Trump administration’s earlier travel bans,” said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project. “It’s not about security — it’s about exclusion.”
Trump’s 2025 order echoes his 2017 “Muslim Ban,” which was partially struck down and later revised after a series of legal battles. The White House maintains that the current policy is legally sound and rooted in national security considerations.
As the political debate intensifies ahead of the 2026 election cycle, the new restrictions signal that immigration — and Trump’s vision of American sovereignty — will remain a central pillar of his administration’s agenda.
