On Wednesday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation barring citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States. The countries affected include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. According to the proclamation, nationals from these countries will face complete entry restrictions. In addition, citizens from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will be subject to partial entry limitations. The restrictions are set to take effect on June 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT (5:01 a.m. Nigerian time). President Trump said the measures were necessary to protect the U.S. from "foreign terrorists" and other security risks. “We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” he stated in a video message posted on X. Trump noted that the list may be updated, with more countries potentially added. He explained that the nations facing the strictest restrictions were believed to have a significant terrorist presence. Others, he said, were cited for poor cooperation on visa security, inadequate identity verification, weak criminal record-keeping, and high rates of visa overstays. “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States,” Trump said.