During my first administration, I implemented strict measures to control the entry of certain foreign nationals into the United States. This was aimed at preventing potential national security and public safety threats from infiltrating our borders. The Supreme Court upheld these critical restrictions. On January 20, 2025, I reinstated these successful policies through Executive Order 14161 (Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats) and Proclamation 10949 on June 4, 2025.
The primary objective of these policies is to protect U.S. citizens from foreign nationals who may intend to commit terrorist acts, incite hate crimes, or exploit immigration laws for malevolent purposes. The United States must exercise extreme vigilance during the visa issuance and immigration processes to identify foreign nationals who pose a threat to Americans or our national interests before their admission into the country.
As directed in Executive Order 14161, the Secretary of State collaborated with the Attorney General, Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence to identify countries where screening and vetting information is deficient. These deficiencies warranted a full or partial suspension of admission for nationals from those countries under section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
In Proclamation 10949, I specifically restricted the entry of foreign nationals from countries with inadequate screening and vetting processes. This was essential for safeguarding the national security and public safety of the United States. The proclamation also mandated immediate engagement with the identified countries to ensure compliance with U.S. screening and immigration standards. Despite these engagements, many of these nations continue to demonstrate significant inadequacies in screening, vetting, and information provision.
Some countries lack mechanisms to report births accurately, leading to widespread corruption and poor recordkeeping. This allows any non-citizen to obtain civil documents easily, especially through illicit means. In other nations, civil documents like marriage licenses and birth certificates are handwritten on ordinary paper, making them susceptible to forgery.
According to U.S. law enforcement reports, foreign nationals from the countries named in this proclamation have been linked to serious criminal activities, including murder, terrorism, and human trafficking. Many of these nations rank in the top third globally for criminality, and their unreliable civil documents complicate the ability of U.S. authorities to assess prior criminal activities.
Several of these countries offer Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs that allow individuals to bypass standard residency requirements. This creates challenges for screening and vetting foreign nationals. For example, a person from a restricted country could obtain CBI from a different country and subsequently apply for a U.S. visa, effectively circumventing travel restrictions.
Foreign nationals from these countries have also violated U.S. immigration laws by overstaying their visas significantly. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Entry/Exit Overstay Report highlights that many foreign nationals have high rates of nonimmigrant visa overstays, which is a blatant disregard for U.S. immigration regulations.
To enforce U.S. immigration laws effectively, I have decided to narrow the categorical exceptions for immigrant visas. Family-based visas will no longer be a broad categorical exception due to the persistent vetting deficiencies that these countries exhibit. Such deficiencies pose significant risks to national security and public safety.
In light of ongoing reviews, additional countries have been identified as unable to meet basic criteria for identifying nationals posing security threats. These ongoing evaluations ensure that the U.S. government remains vigilant in its efforts to protect its citizens.
The measures outlined in this proclamation are vital for safeguarding the interests of the United States. By imposing restrictions on the entry of certain foreign nationals, we are taking decisive steps to protect our nation from potential threats. My administration remains committed to the principles of national security and public safety, ensuring that the immigration process serves the interests of American citizens above all else.