US President Donald Trump has signed a new travel ban order targeting 12 countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, and Yemen. This new move revives one of the most talked-about policies from his first term. According to Trump, this step was taken after a recent attack in Colorado, which officials said was carried out by a man who was in the US illegally.

The updated travel restrictions apply to nationals from the following countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Alongside this, a partial ban has also been placed on travelers from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Both bans will take effect on Monday, the White House said.

Colorado attack behind the new order

In a video shared from the Oval Office, Trump said the decision was prompted by a flamethrower attack during a Jewish protest in Boulder, Colorado. The man accused in the case, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, had allegedly overstayed his tourist visa and applied for asylum in 2022.

"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. "We don't want them."

Trump compared this new ban to the controversial one from 2017 that focused on several Muslim-majority nations.

"We will not let what happened in Europe happen in America," he said.
"We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen."

He added that the new executive order includes countries like Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, and Libya.

After the announcement, Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urged citizens not to travel to the US, saying, "Being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans."

Experts believe the new ban might face legal pushback, similar to many of Trump’s earlier actions since returning to office.

The ban was made public with almost no warning. Right before the news broke, Trump had addressed thousands of political appointees from his balcony during a summer celebration. Unlike his usual practice, this policy was not announced in front of reporters.

Details behind the ban

White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson posted on X:
"President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors that want to come to our country and cause us harm."

She added that the ban applies to countries that either don’t share security information with the US, have high visa overstay rates, or lack proper systems to screen people.

For some countries like Afghanistan, Libya, and Sudan, the order says they don’t have working central governments to verify documents. Yemen was highlighted due to ongoing US military operations there. Iran made the list for being a “state sponsor of terrorism,” the document said.

Trump targets Harvard students

In a separate announcement on Wednesday, Trump also banned visas for international students who were set to begin classes at Harvard University. This move is seen as part of his ongoing criticism of what he considers liberal institutions.