President invokes Boulder attack to justify ban affecting millions – despite attacker being from Egypt which ISN’T on the list
President Donald Trump has resurrected his controversial travel ban with a vengeance, signing a sweeping proclamation that will bar citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States while imposing harsh restrictions on seven others – creating chaos for millions and leaving Afghan allies who helped American forces in devastating limbo.
The dramatic move, which takes effect at 12:01 AM Eastern time on Monday, June 9, marks a massive expansion of Trump’s first-term “Muslim ban” and has sparked immediate outrage from immigrant rights groups, affected nations, and even U.S. military veterans who warn it abandons those who risked their lives for America.
In a shocking twist, Trump justified the ban by citing Sunday’s firebombing attack at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado – despite the fact that the Egyptian attacker Mohamed Sabry Soliman’s home country is NOT included in the travel restrictions.
THE BANNED DOZEN
The countries facing a TOTAL ban on all travel to the United States are:
- Afghanistan – abandoning thousands who helped U.S. forces
- Myanmar (Burma) – with a 42% student visa overstay rate
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti – already reeling from gang violence and 31% visa overstay rate
- Iran – state sponsor of terrorism
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
Seven additional countries face partial restrictions affecting tourist, business, student and exchange visas:
- Burundi
- Cuba – state sponsor of terrorism
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
AFGHAN BETRAYAL: ‘FROM BAD TO WORSE’
The ban has sent shockwaves through the Afghan community, with thousands who aided American forces during the 20-year war now trapped in limbo.
This just puts Afghans from a bad to a worse situation,” said Aimal, a former interpreter who has been waiting in Pakistan for over three years for U.S. approval after the Taliban discovered he helped American troops.
I’m not sure where we’ll end up,” he added, as Pakistan has stepped up its expulsion of Afghan refugees in recent weeks, with hundreds of thousands already forced out.
The Taliban, designated as a global terrorist group, controls Afghanistan, yet those who risked everything to help America are now being punished alongside them.
CHAOS AND CONFUSION
The restrictions threaten to tear families apart and destroy dreams:
- A 31-year-old Myanmar teacher accepted into a prestigious U.S. State Department exchange program may now lose her chance: “It is not easy to apply nor get accepted as we needed several recommendation letters
- Existing visa holders can still travel but face heightened screening
- Athletes competing in the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are EXEMPT
- Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) are not affected
HAITI’S DOUBLE BLOW
For Haiti, already facing one of its worst crises in decades with gangs controlling much of the capital and half the population facing acute food insecurity, the ban represents a devastating blow.
The Trump administration cited Haiti’s staggering 31.38% tourist visa overstay rate and claimed “hundreds of thousands of illegal Haitian aliens flooded into the United States during the Biden Administration.
But analysts say there’s little evidence Haitian gangs have significant U.S. presence or that gang members are among the small number of Haitians able to leave by plane.
The idea that Haitian gangs could be traveling to the U.S. by legal means is completely out of the realm of the possible,” said Renata Segura of the International Crisis Group.
VENEZUELA WARNS CITIZENS
Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello fired back with a chilling warning: “Really, being in the United States is a great risk for any person, not only for Venezuelans.
The ban comes as the Supreme Court last week revoked temporary legal residency for about 110,000 Cubans, 117,000 Venezuelans, and 211,000 Haitians granted under Biden’s humanitarian parole program.
POLITICAL THEATER OR SECURITY?
Critics have slammed the ban as “political theater” rather than genuine security policy.
“Let’s call it what it is: a second Muslim Ban, dressed up in bureaucracy, and rushed out in the aftermath of a tragedy to disguise its intent,” said Shawn VanDiver of #AfghanEvac. “The administration had this policy prepared weeks ago.”
Over half the banned countries are majority-Muslim, and ALL are majority non-White nations.
AFRICAN UNION SPEAKS OUT
The African Union Commission expressed deep concern Thursday about the “potential negative impact” on educational exchanges, commercial engagement and diplomatic relations.
The African Union Commission respectfully calls upon the U.S. administration to consider adopting a more consultative approach,” they stated, urging dialogue with affected countries.
BY THE NUMBERS
The administration’s fact sheet reveals staggering visa overstay rates that Trump cited as justification:
- Myanmar: 27% tourist visa overstay, 42% student visa overstay
- Haiti: 31% tourist visa overstay, 25% student visa overstay
- Afghanistan: 9.7% tourist visa overstay, 29% student visa overstay
- Cuba: 7.7% tourist visa overstay, 18.8% student visa overstay
LEGAL BATTLES AHEAD
Immigration lawyers are already gearing up for court challenges, with memories fresh of the chaos Trump’s original 2017 ban created at airports worldwide when travelers were detained mid-flight or turned away at gates.
The first ban faced numerous legal challenges before a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Starting Monday at 12:01 AM:
- U.S. embassies will STOP issuing visas to citizens of banned countries
- Visas issued before Monday remain valid but expect intense screening
- The ban does NOT directly affect asylum seekers or refugees (already restricted under separate policies)
- Countries can be added or removed based on “material improvements” to their screening procedures
As one Somali diplomat pledged immediate cooperation to address U.S. concerns, the message is clear: comply with Trump’s demands or face isolation.
For millions around the world, including those who risked their lives for America, Monday marks the beginning of an uncertain and frightening new chapter in U.S. immigration policy.
Image credit: Donald Trump at Aston, PA September 37th by Michael Vadon, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
