Donald Trump is back with his travel bans. The US president has signed a sweeping executive order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States.
Under the fresh directive, nationals of 12 countries—Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen—are now fully barred from entering the United States. The proclamation also imposes partial travel restrictions on citizens of seven additional countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
In a move reminiscent of his first term, Trump cited “national security” as justification. But critics say the list—targeting mostly African, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean countries—reflects a discriminatory pattern rather than a data-driven risk assessment.
Notably, none of the nations cited have recent histories of terrorism on US soil.
In a separate controversial directive, Trump ordered heightened visa screening for foreign students heading to Harvard, triggering alarm among civil liberties groups.