WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a sweeping proclamation on Wednesday night barring entry to the United States for nationals from a dozen countries, including Afghanistan, reviving and expanding a travel ban that was among the most controversial policies of his first term.
The order, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on June 9, will fully suspend the entry of Afghan nationals — both immigrants and nonimmigrants — citing the Taliban’s control over the country, a lack of reliable identity documents, and high rates of visa overstays.
“The Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group, controls Afghanistan,” the proclamation states. “Afghanistan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.”
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Fiscal Year 2023 Entry/Exit Overstay Report, Afghanistan had a 9.7 percent overstay rate for B-1/B-2 tourist and business visas and a striking 29.3 percent overstay rate among student and exchange visitor visas.
The decision is expected to have a particularly profound effect on Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S. military and government during its two-decade engagement in Afghanistan. Many had been navigating an already-complicated Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) system, which was subject to delays and funding suspensions during Trump’s prior term.
“It’s a strategic move, not a response to an immediate threat,” said Shawn Vandiver, founder of #AfghanEvac, a U.S.-based coalition of resettlement groups and veterans’ organizations. “But it disproportionately affects families and individuals seeking lawful entry into the U.S.”
While the order includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents, visa holders, and those deemed to be in the U.S. national interest, advocacy groups warned that the ban could effectively halt most legal pathways for Afghans fleeing Taliban rule.
“This marks a chilling return to policies of fear, discrimination, and division,” said Abby Maxman, president and CEO of Oxfam America, in a statement. “It will force people fleeing persecution to remain in dangerous conditions.”
The ban was issued just hours after the president cited national security concerns following a deadly antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, though a White House official acknowledged that the policy had been in development for weeks.
The list of countries facing full travel suspensions includes Iran, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, and several others, while nationals from seven countries — including Venezuela, Cuba, and Laos — will face partial restrictions.
In a video released Wednesday, Trump said the list could be updated at any time “as threats emerge around the world.”
Taliban have not publicly commented on the proclamation. However, critics noted that the move adds to a growing list of obstacles faced by Afghans attempting to escape conflict and seek refuge abroad — especially in the absence of a functioning diplomatic apparatus for Afghanistan.
President Trump’s original travel ban in 2017, which targeted several Muslim-majority countries, faced multiple legal challenges before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. That policy was later rescinded by President Biden in 2021, only to be reintroduced now with broader geographic scope and harsher restrictions.
For tens of thousands of Afghans still hoping for resettlement, the latest measure may close off one of the last remaining doors.
