The United States is reportedly considering expanding its travel ban to include citizens from 36 additional countries. This follows a presidential proclamation made earlier this month by the Trump administration.
According to an internal memo reviewed by The Washington Post, the proposed expansion would significantly broaden the scope of the original ban. The new list includes 25 African countries, such as Egypt and Djibouti, both longstanding partners of the U.S., along with nations from the Caribbean, Central Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
The document, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was dispatched on Saturday to U.S. diplomats assigned to these nations. It instructed them to notify their host countries about new security and identification requirements. Each country now has 60 days to submit an initial action plan addressing these benchmarks, with a deadline of 8 a.m. Wednesday for the first round of responses.
The memo outlines the administration’s concerns, noting that many of the countries under review either lack functional central authorities or are unable to issue reliable civil and identity documents. Others have reportedly allowed extensive visa overstays or failed to meet security obligations.
Additionally, the list considers factors such as the availability of citizenship through financial investment with no residency requirement and alleged antisemitic or anti-American behaviors within the U.S. by individuals from those nations.
A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on internal discussions, and the White House has yet to issue a formal statement. The memo also emphasizes that countries can ease potential restrictions by agreeing to accept third-country nationals deported from the U.S. or by entering into “safe third country” agreements.
It remains unclear when enforcement of the proposed travel restrictions would begin if these nations fail to meet the requirements.
The 36 nations now facing possible visa restrictions include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
This development builds on a June 4 order that imposed full travel bans on citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Partial restrictions had also been placed on travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
If implemented, this would mark one of the most sweeping travel bans enacted by any U.S. administration, potentially affecting diplomatic ties, international mobility, and immigration policy for years to come.
