STORY: U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday (June 4) banning the nationals of 12 countries from entering the United States, saying the move was needed to protect against foreign "terrorists" and other security threats.

The countries affected are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, will be partially restricted.

"The list is subject to revision based on whether material improvements are made, and likewise new countries can be added as threats emerge around the world," Trump said in a video statement from the White House.

The proclamation is effective on Monday (June 9) at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT). Visas issued before that date will not be revoked, the order said.

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VIDEO SHOWS: U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, MAKING STATEMENT ANNOUNCING TRAVEL BAN

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: POST-PRODUCTION EFFECTS FROM SOURCE

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (RELEASED JUNE 4, 2025) (WHITE HOUSE HANDOUT – Access all)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“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, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas. We don’t want them. In the twenty-first century, we’ve seen one terror attack after another carried out by foreign visa overstayers from dangerous places all over the world. And thanks to (former President Joe) Biden’s open-door policies, today, there are millions and millions of these illegals who should not be in our country. In my first term, my powerful travel restrictions were one of our most successful policies, and they were a key part of preventing major foreign terror attacks on American soil. We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America. That’s why on my first day back in office, I directed the Secretary of State to perform a security review of high-risk regions and make recommendations for where restrictions should be imposed. Among the national security threats their analysis considered are the large-scale presence of terrorists, failure to cooperate on visa security, inability to verify travellers’ identities, inadequate record keeping of criminal histories, and persistently high rates of illegal visa overstays and other things. Very simply, we cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States. That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others. The strength of the restrictions we’re applying depends on the severity of the threat posed. The list is subject to revision based on whether material improvements are made, and likewise new countries can be added as threats emerge around the world. But we will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm, and nothing will stop us from keeping America safe. Thank you very much.”