Trump Administration Broadens Travel Restrictions, Adding Five Nations to Full Ban

Washington — The Trump administration has widened its travel ban by fully prohibiting entry from five additional countries and imposing stricter limitations on several others, marking a significant escalation in efforts to bolster U.S. border security and immigration vetting.

The announcement, made on December 16, 2025, comes in the wake of the arrest of an Afghan national accused of shooting two National Guard troops during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Originally introduced in June 2025, the policy revived a key measure from President Donald Trump’s first term. At that time, full entry bans applied to citizens of 12 countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Partial restrictions were placed on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The latest expansion adds Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria to the full ban list. Additionally, individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority now face complete entry restrictions.

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Fifteen more countries have been subjected to new partial restrictions: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Administration officials cited challenges in vetting applicants from these nations, pointing to issues such as widespread corruption, unreliable civil documents, and inadequate record-keeping systems.

This development aligns with broader measures to tighten immigration controls, including recent pauses on certain applications from affected countries. The expanded restrictions are set to take effect soon, further limiting travel and immigration options for nationals of the listed nations.