U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new travel ban Wednesday targeting 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and Yemen, reviving one of the most controversial policies from his first term.
Trump said the measure was prompted by a makeshift flamethrower attack on a Jewish protest in Colorado that U.S. authorities linked to a man they said was in the country illegally.
The order bars all travel to the United States by nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
It also imposes a partial ban on travelers from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Some temporary work visas from these nations will still be permitted.
The restrictions take effect Monday, the White House said.
“The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted,” Trump said in a video message from the Oval Office posted on X. “We don’t want them.”
World Cup, Olympics Excluded
The ban will not apply to athletes competing in the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, or the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, according to Trump’s order.
Separately on Wednesday, Trump announced a ban on visas for foreign students set to begin attending Harvard University, escalating his campaign against institutions he views as liberal strongholds.
The president compared the new measures to the “powerful” ban he imposed on several predominantly Muslim nations during his first term, which sparked global travel disruptions.
Trump said the 2017 policy had prevented the U.S. from suffering terror attacks like those seen in Europe.
“We will not let what happened in Europe happen in America,” Trump said. “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen.”
Venezuela condemned the move, warning that the U.S. itself was a dangerous destination.
“Being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans,” Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said after the announcement, advising citizens against traveling there.
Trump’s new travel ban could face legal challenges, as have many of the sweeping measures he has enacted since returning to office.