U.S. Expands Travel Ban, Adds Five Countries and Tightens Restrictions on Others

The Trump administration has expanded U.S. travel restrictions, adding five more countries to a full entry ban and imposing additional limits on traveler’s from other nations. The changes were announced Tuesday as part of broader efforts to tighten immigration and entry screening standards.

In June, President Donald Trump reinstated a policy from his first term that barred citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and placed partial restrictions on travelers from seven others. Those countries included Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, among others, with heightened screening applied to several additional nations.

Under the latest decision, citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria are now subject to a full travel ban. The administration also imposed complete restrictions on individuals using travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority. Partial travel limitations were extended to 15 more countries across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

U.S. officials said the affected countries were identified due to concerns such as unreliable civil documentation, corruption, visa overstays, limited cooperation on deportations and broader instability that complicates security vetting. The administration stated the measures are intended to strengthen immigration enforcement, national security and counterterrorism efforts.

The announcement follows the recent arrest of an Afghan national accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House; the suspect has pleaded not guilty to all charges.