Washington (AP) – Executives from 12 countries facing a travel ban were met with sharp criticism as President Donald Trump denounced the decision to reinstate policies reminiscent of his first term. He pledged to challenge the United States on this move on Thursday.
The ban, which was revealed on Wednesday, is set to go into effect at 12:01 AM Monday to prevent the disorder that ensued at airports nationwide during similar actions in 2017. The Supreme Court supported this decision.
Afghans pass by an air travel agent in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
12 countries – including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen – represent some of the world’s poorest nations. Additionally, seven more nations: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela face escalating travel restrictions.
In Chad, President Mahamat Deby Itno announced they would respond by halting visa issuance to US citizens “based on reciprocity.”
In a Facebook statement, Deby highlighted that his nation, grappling with severe poverty, cannot offer extravagant gifts, subtly referencing Trump’s luxury Boeing 747 Jet used by Air Force One.
“Chad can’t offer institutions or billions of dollars, but it has dignity and pride,” Deby stated.
Among other African nations, Sierra Leone’s Information Minister, Sherner Barr, affirmed cooperation with US authorities to address the White House’s concerns, while other African countries adopted a more conciliatory stance.
Several of the listed countries were included in Trump’s previous travel bans. North Korea and Syria, previously stated, were not part this time.
Despite little impact on the US from most listed countries, Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela have been significant sources of immigration in recent years.
Trump issued a new ban following a flamethrower attack in Boulder, Colorado, asserting it highlighted dangers raised by several travelers with expired visas. The perpetrator, from Egypt, is not among those restricted by Trump’s orders, as he overstayed his tourist visa according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The travel ban, stemming from the January 20 executive order, necessitates a report on “hostile attitudes” towards the US from specific countries to ascertain any national security risks.
President Donald Trump gestures while speaking to reporters in the White House Oval Office in Washington on May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, file)
Visa Overstays
Trump remarked that some countries either possess “adequate” screening for passports and official documents or have historically resisted reaccepting their citizens. His assertion leaned heavily on the annual Homeland Security Report concerning those who remained in the U.S. after their visas expired.
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Measuring the overstay rates has posed challenges for experts for decades, but limited attempts have been made by the government each year since 2016. Trump’s declaration highlights the overstay rates from the eight countries on the ban list.
Nonetheless, it’s often ambiguous why some countries are included while others are excluded.
Trump’s list includes many of the most notorious overstay offenders, yet omits several others. For instance, Djibouti had an overstay rate of 23.9% among business visitors and tourists until September 2023, despite having over seven countries on the ban list, and six others on restricted lists.
Meanwhile, some excluded countries, such as Chad, exhibit a high visitor percentage while having only a handful suspected of overstaying in a given year.
The findings are “predicated on poor data and the misguided concept of collective punishment,” stated Doug Rand, a former Biden administration official from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
A Blow to Venezuelans
In Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro’s administration denounced the move, labeling it a “campaign of stigmatization and criminalization” against its citizens.
“This was not an isolated incident; it reflects a renewed display of visceral hatred towards the Venezuelan people, which bolsters the efforts of those advocating for Washington’s foreign policy,” stated the official release.
Venezuelans are among the primary targets of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, with many accused of affiliations with the Tren de Aragua gang. However, little evidence was presented to substantiate these claims, although they were used to justify the deportation of numerous Venezuelans.
For years, Maduro’s administration resisted accepting deported immigrants from the U.S. but changed course after Trump took office.
Oreebus Gonzalez, who frequents Miami at least once a year to purchase clothing for resale in Venezuela, expressed concern about being unable to return home despite possessing a valid tourist visa until 2033.
“It frightens me significantly,” stated Gonzalez, 40, prior to her flight to Caracas. “The fact that you follow the rules and act properly seems irrelevant.”
“The US Needs to Cancel It.”
Outside the former US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Taliban security personnel voiced their disappointment regarding the ban.
“The US should repeal it,” Iliad Kakal remarked.
Taliban fighters standing guard in front of the former US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday, June 5, 2025 (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
The Afghan travel ban was introduced as a form of support for Afghans in collaboration with the United States. The refugee program has been halted, leaving no resources for Afghanistan or resettlement; however, the ban encompasses specific immigration visas designed to assist those at risk for collaborating with the US during wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Moreover, many who “served shoulder to shoulder” with the US during the conflict are still left behind, a point made by groups advocating for Afghan allies.
Khalid Khan, an Afghan refugee residing in Pakistan, recounted his eight years of service with the US military.
“I feel abandoned,” Khan expressed. “As long as Trump is in power, we remain stranded.”
Since the Taliban’s takeover of the country in 2021, only Afghans holding foreign passports or green cards have been able to easily travel to the U.S., according to travel agents.
Women are shopping at a market in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Supporting Bans
William Lopez, a real estate investor who migrated from Cuba in 1967, expressed satisfaction with Cuba’s inclusion on the ban list.
“These individuals come but don’t wish to contribute to society. They back the Cuban government and support communism. What the Trump administration is doing is commendable.”
During his first term, Trump enacted a Presidential Order banning travel to the U.S. from citizens of seven predominant Muslim countries, inciting chaos in the early days of his administration.
These orders faced legal scrutiny until a version was finally upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
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Amiri reported from the United Nations. Associated Press contributors include Regina Garcia Cano, Rebecca Santana, Jon Gambrell, Ellen Knickmeyer, Omar Farouk, Nasser Karimi, Elliot Spagat, Elena Becatoros, and Danica Coto.
Source: apnews.com