The White House has significantly widened its controversial travel restrictions, adding five new countries to the list and imposing a full ban on travellers using documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
New Nations Added to Restricted List
On Tuesday 16 December 2025, the Trump administration announced the expansion of its travel ban policy. Citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria will now be barred from entering the United States.
This move marks a major extension of a policy first introduced during President Donald Trump's initial term. The administration also confirmed a complete restriction on travel for individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents.
Background and Justification for the Expansion
The decision follows the recent arrest of an Afghan national suspected of shooting two National Guard troops over the Thanksgiving weekend. In a proclamation, the White House stated the restrictions are part of ongoing efforts to tighten U.S. entry standards for both travel and immigration.
Officials justified the expansion by citing issues such as widespread corruption, unreliable civil documents, and difficulties in vetting citizens from the affected nations. The proclamation argued that some countries have high visa overstay rates or refuse to accept citizens the US wishes to deport, creating what it called a "general lack of stability and government control."
"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," the White House statement read.
A Resurrected and Growing Policy
This latest action resurrects and expands a hallmark policy from Trump's first presidency. In June 2025, he announced bans affecting citizens from 12 countries and heightened restrictions for seven others.
The original list included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Stricter rules were applied to visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Furthermore, an additional 15 countries now face partial restrictions. These are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The Afghan suspect linked to the Thanksgiving shooting, which prompted this policy review, has pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges. The White House maintains these measures are crucial for national security, counterterrorism, and enforcing immigration laws.
