Trump Bans Citizens from 12 Countries—Again, Immigration Takes Another Hit

President Trump’s back at it with another travel ban, and this time it’s bigger. Starting June 9, 2025, people from 12 countries including Chad, Congo, Afghanistan, and Iran won’t be allowed into the U.S. at all. The White House says it’s all about national security, but for many, it feels like déjà vu from his first term.

Photo credit: NBC News

The full list? Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. That’s quite a mix, mostly countries dealing with conflict, weak governments, or just not on the best terms with the U.S.

Trump posted a video on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “We can’t have open migration from any country where we can’t safely and reliably vet and screen.” It’s the same line we’ve heard before, national security, terrorism threats, weak documentation systems. The administration claims these countries either host large numbers of terrorists, don’t play nice with visa security measures, or just can’t keep proper records of their people.

There are some partial bans too, countries like Cuba, Laos, Venezuela, and a few others will face tighter rules, but not full-on bans.

To be fair, there are exceptions. Athletes coming for major events? Still allowed. Some Afghan nationals? Also fine, especially if they’ve got dual citizenship in countries not on the list.

This latest ban is part of a larger push that started back in January. That’s when Trump signed an order tightening vetting procedures across the board and asked federal agencies to figure out which countries weren’t doing enough on their end.

And if this all sounds familiar, it’s because it is. Remember his 2017 travel ban? The one that targeted mostly Muslim-majority countries, sparked global protests, and ended up in the Supreme Court? That was also pitched as a “security measure.” Biden reversed it in 2021, calling it a stain on the country’s conscience.

Now, with Trump back in office, the playbook hasn’t changed, it just expanded. Whether you see it as a necessary step or another controversial swipe at immigration, one thing’s clear: this policy’s going to spark a lot of debate.