Information on nations included in Trump's travel restriction list, along with the projected figures of those affected.
In a shake-up on Wednesday, the White House declared a fresh travel ban on citizens hailing from a dozen nations, rekindling the Trump administration's push to halt entries from select countries. Boldly addressing the public in a video post, Trump suggested that more nations might soon be added as threats cropped up globally.
The targeted countries, with a few exceptions, all maintain difficult, oppositional, or openly belligerent relationships with the United States. Most of these nations are failed states, tormented by repressive governments, or ruling cliques that ascended to power following years of US involvement in their affairs.
The travel ban scrutinizes visa overstays, with the authorities focusing on 12 countries, and seven more nations facing partial prohibitions. The US has seen a surge in nationals from these countries overstaying their visas upon entering the nation.
The drafting of the ban comes following the Boulder, Colorado, assault on a pro-Israeli activist group last week. The assailant, an Egyptian national who was not part of the new travel ban, had secured a two-year work authorization that lapsed in March, as a Homeland Security (DHS) official revealed.
Seven nations falling under the ban's tightest restrictions include Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. These countries were deemed to carry a high risk to the US.
The travel ban spares ongoing visa or green card holders, and it also comes with exemptions for particular visa categories and individuals whose entry aligns with US interests. However, the impacts on each country will differ markedly, with some receiving merely a few hundred nonimmigrant visas annually, while others have welcomed hundreds of thousands of people over the past decade.
Seven African countries—Chad, Sudan, Libya, Eritrea, Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Equatorial Guinea—grapple with complete travel restrictions for their citizens. In contrast, partial restrictions apply to Burundi, Togo, and Sierra Leone.
The State Department indicated in 2023 data that only a few hundred or thousand individuals from each of these countries received immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. The White House highlighted Somalia as a "terrorist safe haven," with a government that fails to command its territory effectively. This year, joint US-Somali counterterrorism operations targeted ISIS and related groups in Somalia through airstrikes.
The US-Sudan relationship has soured, with American sanctions imposed on the military-led Sudanese government following the discovery of chemical weapons use in 2024 during the ongoing Sudanese conflict. Diplomatic efforts by the US to end this two-year struggle have been unsuccessful, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths thus far.
Ties with Chad remained frosty, following Chadian demands to expel US troops from their land in 2024. Relations with Eritrea were strained due to US accusations of war crimes in Ethiopia in 2023. Libya faced similar reprimands from the US over human rights abuses.
The country with the highest rate of visa overstays was Chad, with approximately half of the Chadians granted visas breaching their terms in the 2023 financial year, DHS reported. Despite the slim number of visits from Chad, the White House deemed Chad's overstay rate "unacceptable" and an egregious disregard for US immigration laws.
The President of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, ordered his government to respond by suspending visas for US citizens. He underscored that Chad may lack the means to offer planes or money, but it still has its dignity.
The African Union Commission expressed concern about the repercussions of the travel ban on cultural and commercial bonds, diplomatic relations, and educational collaborations that have been nurtured over decades. The African Union respected America’s sovereignty to protect its borders, but urged the US to impose restrictions wisely, fairly, and reflective of partnerships built over time.
The travel ban, focusing on 20 countries, including Burundi, Cuba, Chad, and Sudan, has been implemented amid growing concerns about national security and immigrant overstays. The ban, while stricter on some countries like Chad, with the highest visa overstay rate, provides exemptions for ongoing visa or green card holders, and certain visa categories.
Following the implementation of the travel ban, a diplomatic tension arose between the United States and various African nations, particularly Chad, as Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno suspended visas for US citizens in response. The African Union Commission expressed concerns about the potential impact of the travel ban on cultural, commercial, and educational ties, urging the US to exercise wisdom and fairness in its restrictions.
