Trump Administration Doubles Travel Ban to 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 previously announced this year for U.S. entry and immigration.

The move includes five new countries — Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria — along with people traveling on documents issued by the Palestinian Authority, and imposes new restrictions on 15 other nations.

The administration described the expansion as part of ongoing efforts to tighten U.S. entry standards for travel and immigration, which it frames as necessary security measures but critics argue unfairly restrict travel from a wide range of countries. The announcement followed the arrest of an Afghan national suspected in the shooting of two National Guard troops over Thanksgiving weekend.

Individuals with valid visas, lawful permanent residency, certain visa categories such as diplomats or athletes, or whose entry is deemed to serve U.S. interests remain exempt from the restrictions.

The administration did not specify when the new restrictions will take effect.

In June 2025, President Donald Trump initially banned citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and imposed restrictions on travelers from seven others. The decision revived a policy from his first term.

At that time, the ban included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, while heightened restrictions applied to visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

On Tuesday, the administration expanded the list of countries whose citizens are banned from entering the U.S. to include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria.

The administration also fully restricted travel for individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued documents, marking a further tightening of restrictions on Palestinians. South Sudan had already faced significant travel limitations.

Additionally, 15 countries — Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Ivory Coast, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe — are now subject to partial restrictions.

The restrictions apply to both visitors seeking temporary travel and those intending permanent immigration.

In its justification, the administration cited “widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records” in many of the restricted countries that complicate vetting. It also noted high rates of visa overstays, unwillingness to deport U.S. citizens, and a “general lack of stability and government control,” which it said hindered effective screening.

The administration cited immigration enforcement, foreign policy, and national security concerns as reasons for the expansion.

The Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House has pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges. Following that incident, the administration announced a series of additional immigration restrictions targeting individuals from the initial 19 countries already subject to restrictions.

Critics warned that the expanded ban is likely to face fierce opposition, with some arguing it uses national security concerns to collectively exclude people from numerous nations.

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 administration also upgraded restrictions on Laos and Sierra Leone — previously on partial lists — while Turkmenistan was noted as having improved enough to warrant easing some travel restrictions.

All previous restrictions announced in June remain in effect, the administration said.

The new Palestinian Authority passport restrictions follow months of tightening measures that made it nearly impossible for holders of such passports to visit the U.S. for any purpose. The latest move now bans emigration to the United States by individuals with these passports.

In its announcement, the administration asserted that several “U.S.-designated terrorist groups operate actively in the West Bank or Gaza Strip and have murdered American citizens.” It also claimed the recent conflict in those areas had “likely resulted in compromised vetting and screening abilities.”