Trump administration widens travel ban to cover 20 more countries

The Trump administration said Tuesday (Dec. 16) it would broaden U.S. travel restrictions to cover 20 more countries and individuals travelling with Palestinian Authority-issued documents, doubling the scope of limits announced earlier this year on who may enter or immigrate to the United States.

Under the new policy, five additional countries were added to the list facing a complete ban on travel to the U.S., along with travellers using Palestinian Authority documents.

At the same time, the administration imposed partial travel restrictions on 15 other nations.

The expansion is part of the administration’s continued push to tighten immigration and entry requirements. Critics have argued the policy unfairly blocks people from many countries under the banner of national security.

The proclamation exempts certain groups, including people who already hold valid visas, U.S. lawful permanent residents, diplomats, athletes, and others whose entry is deemed to be in the national interest. The new restrictions are set to take effect on Jan. 1.

In June, President Donald Trump announced a ban on travellers from 12 countries and partial limits on seven others, reviving one of the most controversial policies from his first term.

That earlier ban covered Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, while heightened restrictions were placed on Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

On Tuesday, the administration expanded the full ban to include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria.

It also barred entry for people traveling with Palestinian Authority-issued documents, marking another U.S. restriction affecting Palestinians. South Sudan had already been subject to significant limitations.

Partial restrictions were also extended to 15 more countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Ivory Coast, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The measures apply both to people seeking temporary visits and those hoping to immigrate to the United States.

According to the administration, many of the affected countries have issues such as widespread corruption, unreliable civil records, or incomplete criminal databases, which officials say complicates the vetting process.

It also cited high visa overstay rates, refusals to accept deported nationals, and weak government control in some regions.

Officials said the decision was driven by concerns related to immigration enforcement, foreign policy, and national security.

The expanded travel ban is expected to draw strong criticism from opponents who argue the administration is broadly excluding people from numerous countries under the justification of security risks.

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