US President Donald Trump's administration declared that five more countries would be placed under the travel ban that was issued in June. The addition of these countries, including partial restrictions on several others, follows DHS head Kristi Noem's previous comments that at least 30 countries would fall under the ban.
According to the Associated Press, Trump has added five more countries to the existing travel ban that was declared in June. The announcement, made on Tuesday, is part of the Trump administration's efforts to tighten US entry standards in line with their hardline stance on travel and immigration. The policy also follows an incident where an Afghan national was suspected and arrested for shooting a member of the National Guard during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Official Rationale for Expansion
In its announcement, the Trump administration said that many of the countries now facing restrictions contained 'widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records.' This, according to officials, made it difficult for the US to vet their citizens. The administration also cited high rates of visa overstays and a refusal by some governments to take back their citizens whom the US wanted to deport.
'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, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives,' the proclamation stated.
The first 13 warriors receive the Mexican Border Defense Medal for SECURING the southern border. Heroes. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ADamXRXF5t
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 16, 2025
The Extended Travel Ban
The travel ban that was announced in June included a travel ban on 12 countries and restrictions on seven others. Most of the countries included are on the African continent. These countries included at the time are: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The countries that were issued increased restrictions on included: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Tuesday's announcement extends the full ban to Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. They also restricted travel for people from Palestine with Palestinian Authority-issued documents.
Additionally, new, less severe restrictions have been placed on Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. These restrictions often apply to specific types of visas rather than a blanket ban on all travel.
DHS Head Previously Hinted at Over 30 Countries Part of the Ban
Earlier this month, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem hinted that over 30 countries would be part of the travel ban. In an interview on Fox News, Noem was asked to confirm reports that 32 countries would be under the travel ban by the Trump administration. Noem, while declining to specify the number, said the number goes past 30.
'I won't be specific on the number, but it's over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate the countries,' said Noem at the time, without naming which countries.
'If they don't have a stable government there, if they don't have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come to the United States?' Noem added.
