THE White House has announced an expansion of its travel ban, adding 20 more countries and imposing new restrictions on others.
The move is part of broader efforts to tighten U.S. travel and immigration standards.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration confirmed that the updated restrictions would include 20 additional countries, as well as the Palestinian Authority.
The restrictions on Palestinians come months after it was made nearly impossible for holders of Palestinian Authority passports to obtain travel documents for business, work, leisure, or educational purposes.
This expansion doubles the number of nations affected by sweeping changes to U.S. travel policies.
The decision follows heightened concerns after the Thanksgiving weekend shooting of two National Guard troops near the White House by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
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One soldier was killed, and the other remains in critical condition.
In the aftermath of the attack, Trump met with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to discuss plans to stop “foreign invaders” from entering the US.
In a statement, Noem said: “I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.
“Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom.
“Not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS.”
Noem ended by stating: “WE DON’T WANT THEM. NOT ONE.”
Lakanwal arrived in the U.S. in 2021 during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, having previously served as an ally to Special Forces troops.
He now faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the death of 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom.
Lakanwal has pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges.
In June, President Trump initially announced travel bans affecting citizens of 12 countries, along with heightened restrictions for seven others.
The original full ban applied to Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Partial restrictions were imposed on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The newly expanded list of countries facing full travel bans now includes Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria.
Meanwhile, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Ivory Coast, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are now subject to partial restrictions.
The administration also tightened restrictions on Laos and Sierra Leone, while easing some restrictions for travellers from Turkmenistan.
Those already in the U.S. will now face additional scrutiny, regardless of their arrival date.
Critics argue the expanded ban amounts to collective punishment based on nationality.
Immigration lawyer Todd Pomerleau said the policy will be challenged in court “before the ink is dry.”
“This is basically targeting people because of their nationality, birthplace, associations, beliefs, or religion,” Pomerleau said.
Laurie Ball Cooper, Vice President of U.S. Legal Programs at the International Refugee Assistance Project, called the ban “not about national security but another shameful attempt to demonise people simply for where they are from.”
The White House defended the expansion, citing widespread corruption, unreliable civil documents, and criminal records in many of the affected countries, which make it difficult to vet travellers.
It also pointed to high rates of visa overstays, refusal by some countries to accept deported citizens, and general instability and weak government control as additional concerns.
“The restrictions imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess risks, secure cooperation from foreign governments, enforce immigration laws, and advance foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives,” the administration said.