President Donald Trump has expanded a US travel ban, barring nationals of five additional countries and people travelling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents from entering the US.
The White House stated that the restrictions aim to protect the security of the United States and will come into effect on January 1.
The full-entry restrictions will be imposed on citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, as well as Palestinian Authority passport holders.
Additionally, Laos and Sierra Leone, previously under partial restrictions, will now face a full ban, along with partial restrictions on 15 other nations, including Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
Trump, who has tightened immigration controls since returning to the White House in January, justified the expanded ban due to what his administration describes as failures in overseas screening and vetting systems. Concerns include high visa overstay rates, unreliable civil records, corruption, terrorist activity, and lack of cooperation in accepting deported nationals.
This decision follows the arrest of an Afghan national suspected of shooting two National Guard troops over the Thanksgiving weekend, underscoring the administration's security concerns.
This marks the third time Trump has imposed a travel ban. His first order in 2017 sparked widespread protests and legal challenges but was ultimately upheld by the US Supreme Court.
The announced restrictions will remain until affected countries demonstrate credible improvements in identity management, information-sharing, and cooperation with US immigration authorities.
Several exceptions apply; the ban will not affect lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, diplomats, or athletes traveling for major sporting events. Case-by-case waivers will be available for travel deemed in the national interest.
Countries with full restrictions:
- Afghanistan
- Burkina Faso
- Burma
- Chad
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Laos
- Libya
- Mali
- Niger
- Republic of the Congo
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Yemen
- Individuals travelling on Palestinian Authority issued or endorsed travel documents are also subject to a full suspension of entry
Partial restrictions:
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Benin
- Burundi
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tonga
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Special case: Turkmenistan (restrictions remain for immigrants but have been lifted for non-immigrant visas).
