The White House announced on December 16 that President Donald Trump signed an order to expand and strengthen entry restrictions on citizens from countries with "serious, persistent, and verified deficiencies" in screening, vetting, and information sharing. This measure aims to protect the nation from security and public safety threats.
The expanded ban will apply to Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, and individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority. Laos and Sierra Leone, previously under partial restrictions, will now face a complete entry ban. The White House stated that these expanded restrictions will take effect on 1/1/2026.
 |
US President Donald Trump at the White House on December 15. *AFP* |
The Trump administration also imposed partial entry restrictions on citizens from 15 countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
These restrictions do not include legal permanent residents, those with valid visas, or certain visa categories applicable to athletes and diplomats.
Since returning to the White House, President Trump has made tightening immigration law enforcement a priority. He has deployed federal agents to major US cities and refused entry to asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border.
In June, the US President signed an order banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the US and imposed restrictions on citizens from seven others. He stated these measures were necessary to protect the US from "foreign terrorists" and security threats. The ban applied to both immigrants and non-immigrants, including tourists, students, and businesspeople.
The White House confirmed that the travel ban on these 12 countries remains in effect. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem disclosed earlier this month that the US government plans to expand the entry ban to over 30 countries.
In recent weeks, President Trump has used increasingly harsh rhetoric to condemn African immigrants. At a rally last week, he remarked that the US was only accepting people from "bad countries," asserting that the focus should be on immigrants from Norway and Sweden.
Huyen Le (According to AFP, Reuters, Hill)
