Trump Administration Doubles Global Travel Ban as New Restrictions Target 20 Countries and Palestinian Authority

The Trump administration announced Tuesday it is expanding travel restrictions to an additional 20 countries and the Palestinian Authority, doubling the number of nations affected by sweeping limits introduced earlier this year for U.S. entry and immigration.

The move includes five more countries—Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria—now facing a full ban on travel to the United States, while 15 additional nations are subject to partial restrictions: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Ivory Coast, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The administration cited “widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records” in the targeted countries as reasons for the restrictions, along with high rates of visa overstays and challenges in deporting citizens. It also noted that some nations lacked sufficient government stability to ensure proper vetting.

The expansion follows the arrest of an Afghan national suspected in the shooting of two National Guard troops over Thanksgiving weekend. The administration stated that recent conflicts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip had “likely resulted in compromised vetting and screening abilities.”

A key component of the new policy is a full ban on travel for individuals using Palestinian Authority-issued documents—a move months after restrictions were already imposed making it nearly impossible for holders of such passports to enter U.S. territory for any purpose.

The administration defended the changes as necessary security measures, but critics condemned them as an unjustified effort to target travelers based solely on their country of origin. Laurie Ball Cooper, vice president of U.S. Legal Programs at the International Refugee Assistance Project, stated: “This expanded ban is not about national security but instead is another shameful attempt to demonize people simply for where they are from.”

The restrictions apply to both visitors and those seeking immigration status, with exemptions including existing visa holders, lawful permanent residents, diplomats, athletes, and individuals whose entry is deemed beneficial to U.S. interests. The administration also upgraded restrictions on Laos and Sierra Leone—previously on the partially restricted list—while noting Turkmenistan had improved sufficiently to allow some easing of travel limitations for its citizens.