US President Donald Trump has issued a new proclamation significantly widening America’s travel restrictions, adding 20 more countries and Palestinians to the list of those facing full bans or limited
entry into the United States. Citing concerns around national security, public safety, insufficient screening processes and high visa overstay rates, the move brings the total number of affected countries to 39.
As outlined in a White House fact sheet, the order enforces a complete travel ban on Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. Individuals travelling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents have also been included under the ban. In addition, Laos and Sierra Leone, previously subject to partial limitations will now face a full prohibition on entry.
The expanded restrictions are scheduled to come into force on January 1.
The announcement follows remarks made two weeks earlier by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who revealed that the administration intended to broaden the scope of the existing travel ban, though she did not specify the countries involved at the time.
Currently, the United States maintains a full travel ban on nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
This latest decision signals a sharp intensification of the administration’s immigration policy. Officials have linked the move to recent security incidents, including the November 26 killing of two National Guard members in Washington, DC. The suspect in that case, an Afghan national who previously worked with a CIA-affiliated unit, entered the US following the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan and was granted asylum earlier this year after undergoing vetting. The administration has since pointed to the incident as evidence of vulnerabilities in the current immigration system.
The crackdown also comes in the wake of a December 13 Islamic State ambush in Syria that killed two US soldiers and an American civilian interpreter.
Under the new proclamation, partial entry restrictions have been imposed on 15 additional countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Partial restrictions will remain in place for citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Togo and Venezuela.
Turkmenistan is the only country to receive limited relief under the revised order, with restrictions on non-immigrant visas for its nationals now lifted.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision, the White House cited ongoing terrorist activity, political instability and elevated visa overstay rates. Countries including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria were flagged for persistent security threats, while others were identified for high levels of B-1/B-2 tourist and student visa overstays, based on Department of Homeland Security data.
Syria was specifically criticised for lacking a reliable central authority capable of issuing secure passports and civil documentation after years of prolonged conflict.
According to the White House, the measures are intended to block the entry of individuals for whom the US lacks adequate information to assess potential risks, while also strengthening cooperation with foreign governments, enforcing immigration laws and advancing broader foreign policy and counterterrorism goals.
The order includes exemptions for lawful permanent residents, individuals holding valid visas, diplomats, athletes and those whose entry is deemed to be in the national interest. While case-by-case waivers will continue, the administration has narrowed wider family-based immigration exemptions, arguing that they present increased risks of fraud.
