President Donald Trump issued a travel ban that will bar or partially restrict foreign nationals from nearly 20 countries from entering the United States, citing national security concerns.
In videotaped remarks from the Oval Office released Wednesday, June 4, Trump pointed to last weekend's attack on a group of demonstrators supporting Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colorado. The FBI has said it is investigating the attack as a "targeted act of terrorism," with the suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a native of Egypt whose 2022 tourist visa is expired.
The countries are primarily in Africa and the Middle East, with a full ban on foreign nationals from 12 nations. They are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The president's proclamation also includes a partial travel ban of people from seven other countries − Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The restrictions are to go into effect on Monday, June 9.
Here is a closer look at why the administration says it is instituting full bans on the 12 nations.
