Trump Administration Expands Travel Ban to Five New Countries, Adds 15 to Partial Restrictions

On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced an expansion of its travel ban, adding five new countries to the list of full bans and placing 15 additional nations under partial restrictions.

Background of the Travel Ban

In June, President Donald Trump announced that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions. The decision resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term. At the time the ban included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen and heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

New Full-Ban Countries

The administration expanded the list of countries whose citizens are banned from entering the U.S. to include:

• Burkina Faso
• Mali
• Niger
• South Sudan
• Syria

These additions bring the total number of full-ban countries to 17.

New Partial Restrictions

An additional 15 countries are also being added to the list of countries facing partial restrictions:

• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Benin
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Dominica
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Malawi
• Mauritania
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

The Trump administration also fully restricted travel for people with Palestinian‑Authority‑issued travel documents.

White House Proclamation Details

The Trump administration said in its announcement of the expanded travel ban that many of the countries from which it was restricting travel had “widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records” that made it difficult to vet their citizens for travel to the U.S. It also said some countries had high rates of people overstaying their visas, refused to take back their citizens who the U.S. wished to deport or had a “general lack of stability and government control,” which made vetting difficult.

“The restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives,” reads the White House proclamation announcing the changes.

Impact on Travelers

The expanded ban means that citizens of the newly added full‑ban countries are now prohibited from entering the United States under any circumstance. Travelers from the 15 newly added partial‑ban countries must now undergo additional screening and may face more stringent visa requirements. Those holding Palestinian‑Authority‑issued travel documents are now subject to a complete travel restriction.

Afghan Incident

The decision follows the arrest of an Afghan national suspected in the shooting of two National Guard troops over Thanksgiving weekend. The Afghan man accused of shooting the two National Guard troops near the White House has pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges.

Conclusion

President Donald Trump signed a travel ban late Wednesday, banning nationals from 12 countries from traveling to the United States. Seven additional countries received a partial ban. The Tuesday expansion adds five more full‑ban countries and 15 to partial restrictions, underscoring the administration’s ongoing effort to tighten U.S. entry standards.

Key Takeaways

• Five new countries added to the full‑ban list: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria.
• Fifteen countries placed under partial restrictions, plus a full restriction on Palestinian‑Authority‑issued documents.
• The expansion follows the Afghan shooting incident and aims to address corruption, unreliable documents, and overstays in targeted nations.