President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation banning travel from 12 countries, citing national security concerns.

The affected nations are:

– Afghanistan

– Myanmar

– Chad

– The Republic of the Congo

– Equatorial Guinea

– Eritrea

– Haiti

– Iran

– Libya

– Somalia

– Sudan

– And Yemen

This decision, made on Wednesday, follows an antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, prompting expedited action.

The proclamation also imposes partial travel restrictions on nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Exceptions are made for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, and certain visa categories.

While Trump defends the ban as a necessary measure to protect the United States, critics argue it is discriminatory and harmful to international relations.

This move is part of Trump’s broader strategy to address perceived foreign threats and follows previous actions targeting countries with high visa overstay rates or inadequate information sharing.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation that bans travel from 12 specific countries in response to national security concerns. These nations include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, and others, with the restriction on entry being complete for their nationals.

Additionally, residents from seven more countries such as Burundi and Venezuela will face partial travel restrictions. The decision was first reported by CBS News. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated on X that President Trump is committed to protecting Americans from potential foreign threats.

The proclamation identifies these countries as high-risk due to inadequate screening and vetting processes. Trump’s previous travel bans, focused on majority-Muslim countries, were upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018 but repealed by Joe Biden in 2021.