The United States has moved to further tighten its immigration and travel controls by expanding existing entry restrictions to more countries and imposing additional limits on others.
On December 16, 2025, the Trump administration announced that citizens from 5 more countries will now be fully banned from entering the US, while new partial restrictions will apply to several others. The decision comes after the arrest of an Afghan national suspected of shooting 2 National Guard troops over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The administration said the move is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen US entry standards for both travel and immigration. It also confirmed that travel has been fully restricted for individuals holding Palestinian Authority issued travel documents.
Earlier in June, President Donald Trump had announced a broad travel ban affecting citizens from 12 countries, with heightened restrictions placed on visitors from 7 additional nations. That decision marked the return of a signature policy from his first term in office.
At that time, the countries under a full ban included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Partial restrictions were imposed on travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Under the latest update, the list of countries facing a full entry ban has expanded to include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria.
In addition, partial travel restrictions have now been extended to citizens from 15 more countries. These include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The administration said these measures reflect its continued focus on national security and stricter screening processes for foreign nationals seeking entry into the United States.
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