President Donald Trump significantly broadened the United States’ travel restrictions on Tuesday, adding nationals from seven new countries including Syria and holders of Palestinian Authority passports to the exclusion list.
Rationale for the Ban
The White House described the move as a measure to bar foreign nationals who might pose a risk to national security.
According to the administration, the ban targets those who:
“intend to threaten”
Americans, as well as individuals who would:
“undermine or destabilize its culture, government, institutions or founding principles,”
Triggering Events
This policy shift comes just days after a fatal incident in Syria where two U.S. troops and a civilian were killed. Syrian officials identified the attacker as a security force member facing dismissal for holding:
“extremist Islamist ideas.”
Additionally, the restrictions on Palestinian Authority passport holders align with the administration’s stance of solidarity with Israel, opposing the recognition of a Palestinian state by Western nations like France and Britain.
Countries Affected
The new full travel ban applies to Laos in Southeast Asia and several African nations, specifically:
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Burkina Faso
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Mali
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Niger
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Sierra Leone
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South Sudan
Partial Restrictions on Nigeria and Others
In a separate series of actions, the White House announced partial travel restrictions on citizens from other African and Caribbean nations, including Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country.
Other nations newly subject to these partial restrictions include:
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Angola, Benin, Ivory Coast, The Gambia, Gabon, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
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Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Tonga.
The White House justified these inclusions by citing high crime rates and issues with passport record-keeping in these regions.
Escalating Rhetoric
The expansion follows weeks of intensified anti-immigrant language from the president. At a recent rally, Trump reportedly criticized accepting immigrants from what he termed
“shithole countries”
He suggested the U.S. should instead prioritize immigrants from nations like Norway and Sweden. Furthermore, following a fraud scandal in Minnesota, he recently referred to Somalis as
“garbage”
Status of Other Nations
Somalia remains on the full ban list alongside Afghanistan, Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, and others. Recently, restrictions were tightened on Afghanistan following an incident involving an Afghan veteran in Washington.
However, the administration noted:
“significant progress”
regarding Turkmenistan, allowing its citizens to once again secure U.S. visas, though strictly for non-immigrant purposes.