Trump Expands US Travel Ban, Adding Palestine and Several African and Asian Nations

President Donald Trump has widened the scope of the U.S. travel ban, adding Palestine and several other countries to the list of nations whose citizens are now barred from entering the United States. The expansion, announced via presidential proclamation, is framed as a measure to protect national security and public safety amid concerns over inadequate screening and vetting mechanisms.

The White House cited multiple factors behind the decision, including “insufficient information to assess risks,” “terrorist presence,” “criminal and extremist activity,” and chronic instability that could compromise the ability to properly vet travelers.

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Full Travel Ban List

The newly added countries, alongside 12 already under full restrictions since June 2025, are now subject to a complete entry suspension. The full-suspension countries are:

New additions:

• Palestine

• Burkina Faso

• Mali

• Niger

• South Sudan

• Syria

• Sierra Leone

• Laos

Previously fully restricted countries:

• Afghanistan

• Burma (Myanmar)

• Chad

• Republic of the Congo

• Equatorial Guinea

• Eritrea

• Haiti

• Iran

• Libya

• Somalia

• Sudan

• Yemen

Laos and Sierra Leone, which had been under partial restrictions, are now moved to full-suspension status.

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Partial Travel Restrictions

In addition to the full bans, the administration has maintained partial restrictions on nationals from 15 other countries, primarily affecting immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, including tourist (B-1/B-2), student (F), vocational (M), and exchange visitor (J) categories.

Countries under partial restrictions include:

• Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Cuba, Togo, Venezuela

The proclamation continues partial restrictions on Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela, while easing restrictions for Turkmenistan on nonimmigrant visas following reported progress in identity management and information sharing. Immigrant visa restrictions for Turkmenistan remain.

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Administration’s Rationale

The White House cited a combination of factors in justifying the expanded ban:

• High visa overstay rates

• Unreliable civil documentation systems

• Weak law enforcement data sharing

• Citizenship-by-investment programs that may allow individuals to bypass identity checks

Officials emphasized that the expanded ban aims to mitigate risks stemming from unstable or poorly documented regions where standard vetting processes are compromised.

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Context and Background

The move comes in the wake of reporting detailing a fraud scheme allegedly involving Somali nationals in Minnesota, in which prosecutors claim more than $1 billion in taxpayers’ funds were siphoned.

The Trump administration has frequently cited such incidents as part of its justification for tighter immigration and travel measures, emphasizing national security and financial integrity concerns.