President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order—Executive Order 14161—restricting entry to the U.S. from almost 20 countries deemed high-risk due to terrorism ties, visa abuses, and failure to share security information effectively.
This latest move bars entry to people from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen. These nations are considered to have the greatest risk due to terrorism, unstable governments, and high rates of visa overstays. Seven other countries, such as Venezuela, Cuba, and Laos, face partial travel limits, according to Fox News.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said the measure reflects the president’s promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign visitors. She called it a “common sense” step to address nations that don’t properly vet travelers, have high visa overstay rates, or refuse to share security data.
In a video posted on social media Wednesday night, Trump pointed to a recent terror incident in Boulder, Colorado, where the attacker had overstayed a visa. “This attack underscores the threat posed by foreigners who aren’t carefully screened and those who overstay their temporary visas,” Trump said.
“We’ve seen too many attacks in this country by visa overstayers from dangerous parts of the world,” he continued. “Because of Biden’s weak immigration policies, millions of these undocumented migrants now live in our country without belonging here.”
Trump said the new travel list could be updated as countries improve security cooperation, or as new threats emerge. “We won’t allow people who intend to harm us to set foot in our nation. We’ll do whatever it takes to keep America safe,” he said.
Reflecting on similar travel bans imposed during his first term, Trump called them “one of our most successful policies” in preventing major foreign terror incidents.
The new order points to Afghanistan, where the Taliban controls the government and the student visa overstay rate is a concerning 29.3%. Iran, classified as a state sponsor of terrorism, refuses to work with U.S. authorities, while countries like Libya, Somalia, and Yemen lack reliable governments to provide secure travel documents.
“We simply cannot have open migration from countries that cannot safely and reliably screen travelers,” Trump said. “That’s why today I’m signing this order to stop people from Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and others from entering our nation if they pose a threat.”
Predictably, Democrats strongly criticized the move. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called it “utterly disgraceful” and reminiscent of Trump’s earlier travel bans, arguing it would harm families and undermine American values.
However, the order does offer exemptions for current visa holders, permanent residents, certain visa categories, and those deemed to serve U.S. national interests. Politico reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio conducted a security review of these high-risk areas and recommended the countries facing new restrictions.
