U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order imposing travel restrictions on citizens from 12 countries, including Myanmar, citing national security concerns and failures in proper identity verification systems.
Myanmar joins Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, and eight other nations in the ban, which will take effect on Monday, according to the White House. The measure revives a controversial policy from Trump’s first term, previously criticized for targeting Muslim-majority countries and disrupting global travel.
In a video message from the Oval Office posted on X, Trump justified the new restrictions by referring to a recent flamethrower attack at a Jewish protest in Boulder, Colorado. The attacker, identified as Mohammed Sabry Soliman, is reportedly in the U.S. illegally and had applied for asylum after overstaying a tourist visa. Trump linked this incident to what he called a failure in vetting foreign nationals.
“We don’t want them,” Trump said, comparing the new restrictions to his 2017 travel ban. “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen.”
The executive order specifically flags Myanmar for its inadequate passport control systems and the government's inability to cooperate on information sharing required for U.S. visa issuance. Officials said the absence of robust vetting procedures in Myanmar poses a risk to U.S. national security.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson emphasized that the travel ban is a protective measure. “These commonsense restrictions are country-specific and include places that lack proper vetting, exhibit high visa overstay rates, or fail to share identity and threat information,” she wrote on X.
Myanmar’s inclusion in the list follows broader concerns about instability in the country following the 2021 military coup and ongoing armed conflicts in several regions. U.S. officials argue that the current regime cannot provide the assurances needed for safe, secure international migration.
The announcement, made with little prior notice, came shortly after Trump addressed thousands of political appointees at a private event. Notably, the travel ban was introduced without the usual presence of media at the signing ceremony — a departure from Trump’s previous high-profile policy rollouts.
In addition to Myanmar and the 11 other countries under a full ban, Trump also imposed partial restrictions on travelers from seven more countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Trump’s executive order is expected to face legal challenges, as many of his immigration-related policies have in the past. Critics argue that the bans discriminate based on nationality and ignore the complexities of migration in conflict zones.
Despite the anticipated backlash, the Trump administration maintains that the move is essential to protect Americans from what it calls “dangerous foreign actors.”
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