The countries Trump has denied entry to: what are the exceptions and what you need to know

President Donald Trump has issued a blanket travel ban that will block people from 12 countries from entering the United States. Arguing that citizens of those countries pose “national security risks,” he has revived one of his most controversial policies from his first term—the “Muslim ban”—and like that policy, this proclamation could face several legal challenges.

History of Trump’s travel bans

During his first term, Trump implemented an order banning Muslims from entering the United States. It aimed to limit the entry of foreign nationals from certain countries into the United States under the pretext of national security. Commonly known as the “Muslim ban,” the order suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for four months, indefinitely halted the entry of Syrian refugees, and temporarily banned the entry of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen — many of which are mentioned in the new order. The Department of Homeland Security began detaining travelers and revoking thousands of visas, causing confusion and legal challenges across the country.

The legal challenges led to the issuance of a nationwide temporary restraining order, and the Ninth Circuit upheld the suspension of key parts of the order. Over time, the Trump administration issued revised orders, culminating in Presidential Proclamation 9645, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. President Joe Biden formally revoked the travel bans in 2021. However, upon returning to office in 2025, Trump reinstated a broader version through Executive Order 14161, reigniting debates about immigration and national security.

Under Order 14161, he implemented this new proclamation that includes several countries that are considered a threat to national security.

In a video, the president linked this action to last Sunday’s terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, and said it highlighted the dangers posed by people who remained in the country after their visas expired. However, the suspect in the attack is from Egypt, a country not on the list of countries subject to the travel ban.

Which countries did he ban from traveling to the US?

In the executive order, Trump states that he has “determined to partially restrict and limit the entry of nationals of the following seven countries”:

• Burundi
• Cuba
• Laos
• Sierra Leone
• Togo
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela

He also placed five countries on his list of “Full Suspension of Entry for Nationals of Countries of Identified Concern” They are as follows:

• Afghanistan
• Burma (Myanmar)
• Chad
• Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Libya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen

These restrictions will apply to anyone from these countries who is outside the United States on the effective date of the order and who does not have a valid visa on that date.

What are the exceptions?

The order states that it will not apply to individuals who are legal permanent residents of the United States, those with dual nationality, and any athlete or member of an athletic team traveling for any major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State.

There is also an exception for foreign nationals traveling on the following valid nonimmigrant visas:

• A-1
• A-2
• C-2
• C-3
• G-1
• G-2
• G-3
• G-4
• NATO-1
• NATO-2
• NATO-3
• NATO-4
• NATO-5
• NATO-6

Similarly, it applies to individuals with immigrant family and adoption visas (with proof of identity and family relationship).

• IR-1/CR-1
• IR-2/CR-2
• IR-5
• IR-3
• IR-4
• IH-3
• IH-4

Likewise, the ban does not apply to special visas from Afghanistan, special immigrant visas for US government employees, and immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities suffering persecution in Iran.

When does the ban take effect?

The travel ban on the aforementioned countries will take effect on Monday, June 9, at 12:01 a.m. Unlike the order that banned Muslims from entering the country, which took effect immediately, this one has been given several days to avoid problems at the country’s points of entry.

What happens if they try to travel to the United States?

When the “Muslim ban” was implemented, people were denied boarding on flights to the United States. Some were stranded in another country while in transit. Dozens were detained at airports without access to their cell phones or legal assistance. This could happen with this new measure, but it is expected to have less impact at domestic airports due to the time given for the action to be implemented.