U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday (June 5) banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States, saying the move was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats.

The directive is part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students and deport others.

The countries affected by the latest travel ban 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 proclamation is effective on June 9, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT). Visas issued before that date will not be revoked, the order said.

At New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, Suleiman Kenyi, returning from Uganda and Kenya, said, “Everything that Trump does is, what is the overall strategic approach? We seem to be isolating ourselves. I just came back from Africa, and you see a higher presence from the Chinese, when you don’t see any United States presence.”

Kenyi also questioned the national security rationale: “It’s not unexpected because he did it the first time. But countries like Sudan, Yemen and Congo — I don’t know what they have to do with the national security of the United States.”

Avi, a U.S. native now living in South Africa, said, “I’m very happy that President Trump is in office. He’s a statesman, he loves to make good deals. But I think he’s overreached his boundaries.”

He also expressed concern for those impacted: “So many people living here have relatives there. I understand vetting, but it cannot be a blanket decree.”

Deidre Scheetz of Portland, Oregon, compared the latest action to Trump’s earlier travel ban.

“Similar, it’s just unfortunate," Scheetz said. "It escalates conflict, in my view, it feels ignorant on multiple levels. I know a lot of people from what it sounds like, are from the countries that sound like they're being banned and it's unfortunate because it limits the dialogue for cross-cultural communication, building, understanding and trust."

Kenneth Davis from Seattle said: “It really don’t affect me. I don’t watch the news, I don’t know what’s going on.” He added, “As long as they do what’s best for America, I’m with it.”

During his first, 2017-21 term in office, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.

Former President Joe Biden, a Democrat who succeeded Trump, repealed that ban on nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen in 2021, calling it "a stain on our national conscience."

Trump's presidential campaign focused on a tough border strategy and he previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and "anywhere else that threatens our security."

Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S. to detect national security threats.

The latest travel restrictions were first reported by CBS News.

In March, Reuters reported that the Trump administration was considering travel restrictions on dozens of countries.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JUNE 5, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS GATE BOARD AT JOHN F. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, LOCATED IN THE JAMAICA NEIGHBORHOOD OF QUEENS, A BOROUGH OF NEW YORK CITY

2. VARIOUS OF TRAVELERS WITH LUGGAGE INSIDE TERMINAL

3. VARIOUS OF TRAVELERS OUTSIDE OF JFK AIRPORT

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SULEIMAN KENYI, JUST CAME BACK FROM UGANDA AND KENYA AND LIVES IN WESTWOOD, NEW JERSEY, SAYING:

"Everything that Trump does is, what is the overall strategic approach? I understand sometimes you might have to do certain things, but I think you cannot see the big picture as to what exactly we are trying to do. And then secondarily, we seem to be isolating ourselves from the rest of the world. I just came back from Africa, and what you see there is a higher presence from the Chinese, for example, when you don't see any United States presence. So wherever we draw back, I think the Chinese and other countries kind of fill in the gaps, which is not good for - from my point of view - is not good in the long term for the United States."

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AVI, CURRENTLY LIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA AND WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN THE U.S., SAYING:

"I'm very happy that President Trump is in office, and I certainly would have voted for him as well, but living in South Africa, it's difficult to. And I think he was right in looking at the human rights factor in South Africa as far as the whites are concerned - he's 100% correct on that. I'm living it. I was there since before Mandela came out. When Mandela was there, it was a glorious era for everybody. We were expecting a civil war. But President Trump has come into office and I think he's exaggerated his position. He is a statesman. He loves to make good deals and he has made a lot of good deals, but I really think that he's overreached his boundaries, his limitations. He's got to know that... send people there, they don't want to go there, all right. I understand there are certain countries that he has to ensure that there's no danger to America - America is first, I agree. But I feel it's exaggerated."

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SULEIMAN KENYI, JUST CAME BACK FROM UGANDA AND KENYA AND LIVES IN WESTWOOD, NEW JERSEY, SAYING:

"Quite frankly, it's not unexpected because he did it the first time, so it's not unrealistic that he'd do it again. But I think the countries that have been banned, I don't know what kind of threat they pose to the states. Specifically countries like Sudan, Yemen and Congo, for example, I don't know what they have to do with the national security of the United States."

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AVI, CURRENTLY LIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA AND WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN THE U.S., SAYING:

"For me, it's questionable because there are so many people living here that have relatives there - cannot afford to go back there. It might be dangerous for them. So, look, they have to check up. If somebody is coming for a visa, go to the State Department. 'Who are you? What are you? Are you dangerous? Do you belong to a...?' And then I understand, but it cannot be a blanket decree that, 'Nobody can come from there, we can't have you, we don't want you to step foot into our country.'"

8. VARIOUS OF DEIDRE SCHEETZ, FROM PORTLAND, OREGON, AND KENNETH DAVIS, FROM SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, STANDING WITH THEIR LUGGAGE

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEIDRE SCHEETZ, FROM PORTLAND, OREGON, SAYING: (ON COMPARING TRUMP'S FIRST TRAVEL BAN DURING HIS FIRST TERM IN OFFICE TO HIS CURRENT TRAVEL BAN)

"Similar, it's just unfortunate. Someone who will break down dialogues and exchanges in their mutual experiences, then it escalates conflict, in my view, it feels ignorant on multiple levels. Culture's complex. I just wish we could do a better job at having more quality dialogues around why things are a certain way and how we can work together. That's just my training and my background."

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KENNETH DAVIS, FROM SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, SAYING:

"It really don't affect me. I mean, I really can't say - I don't watch the news, I don't know what's going on."

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEIDRE SCHEETZ, FROM PORTLAND, OREGON, SAYING:

"I'm not surprised. Do I agree with it? No. I'm a global citizen. I've traveled to a lot of countries, so people are people. I know that can sound naive, but I know a lot of people from what it sounds like, are from the countries that sound like they're being banned and it's unfortunate because it limits the dialogue for cross-cultural communication, building, understanding and trust."

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KENNETH DAVIS, FROM SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, SAYING: (DOES NOT HAVE A STRONG OPINION ON THE TRAVEL BAN)

"I do not. I think as long as they do what's best for America, I'm with it."

13. VARIOUS OF TERMINAL SIGNS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER, TRAVELERS WITH LUGGAGE, SIGNS FOR RIDE APP PICK UP AND TAXIS, CARS OUTSIDE OF JFK AIRPORT