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President Trump dramatically expanded the U.S. travel ban Dec. 16, imposing complete entry restrictions on five additional countries—Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria—while also banning individuals holding Palestinian Authority travel documents 
. The proclamation upgraded Laos and Sierra Leone from partial to full bans and added partial restrictions on 15 countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe 
.
The expansion follows a November shooting in Washington D.C. that killed two National Guard soldiers, carried out by an Afghan national who had served with CIA-affiliated units and received asylum after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan 
. The White House cited 'widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents, high visa overstay rates, and refusal by some countries to accept deported nationals' as justification for the restrictions 
. The administration stated these measures are necessary to assess risks and advance national security and counterterrorism goals .
The travel ban now encompasses 19 countries under complete restrictions, maintaining the original 12 countries from Trump's June 2025 ban—Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen . Notably, Turkmenistan was removed from restrictions due to 'significant progress' in cooperation 
. The restrictions include exceptions for lawful permanent residents, current visa holders, diplomats, athletes, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests 
. Trump has issued 221 executive orders since taking office in January 2025, with over 30 signed in his first month alone, primarily focusing on domestic affairs including immigration enforcement .
President Trump dramatically expanded the U.S. travel ban Dec. 16, imposing complete entry restrictions on five additional countries—Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria—while also banning individuals holding Palestinian Authority travel documents . The proclamation upgraded Laos and Sierra Leone from partial to full bans and added partial restrictions on 15 countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe .
The expansion follows a November shooting in Washington D.C. that killed two National Guard soldiers, carried out by an Afghan national who had served with CIA-affiliated units and received asylum after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan . The White House cited 'widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents, high visa overstay rates, and refusal by some countries to accept deported nationals' as justification for the restrictions . The administration stated these measures are necessary to assess risks and advance national security and counterterrorism goals .
The travel ban now encompasses 19 countries under complete restrictions, maintaining the original 12 countries from Trump's June 2025 ban—Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen . Notably, Turkmenistan was removed from restrictions due to 'significant progress' in cooperation . The restrictions include exceptions for lawful permanent residents, current visa holders, diplomats, athletes, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests . Trump has issued 221 executive orders since taking office in January 2025, with over 30 signed in his first month alone, primarily focusing on domestic affairs including immigration enforcement .
⚠️Evocative reporting,
based on 69 🗞 sources
