Trump's New Travel Ban Takes Effect; 12 Countries Face Full Ban, 7 Countries Under Restriction.

Washington D.C.: President Donald Trump on Wednesday revived a hallmark policy from his first term, announcing that citizens from 12 countries would be banned from entering the U.S., and visitors from seven other nations would face restrictions. The ban is set to go into effect on Monday at 12:01 a.m.

Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen are the countries subjected to a complete travel ban. Visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will face heightened restrictions.

In a video released on social media, Trump stated that the reason for the ban was the high number of individuals overstaying their visas and deficiencies in security screenings. He also indicated that the recent terror attack in Boulder was a factor behind this decision. However, the perpetrator of the attack is from Egypt, a country not on the restricted list.

Organizations like #AfghanEvac sharply criticized the inclusion of Afghanistan, calling it a moral disgrace that disrespects U.S. allies and military personnel. International aid groups and refugee resettlement organizations have also strongly condemned the new ban.