The proclamation adds “full restrictions and entry limitations” on those attempting to come to the United States from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria, as well as those with travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
The administration is also imposing partial entry limits on individuals from 15 countries that were not previously part of a travel ban. Those countries include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The administration is also increasing restrictions on Laos and Sierra Leone, which previously were subject to partial restrictions under an existing travel ban policy.
The travel restrictions exclude lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders and certain visa categories that apply to athletes and diplomats.
Trump in June signed an initial travel ban targeting 12 countries: Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry restrictions on those countries remain in effect, the White House said.
Immigration groups blasted Tuesday’s move, noting it comes on the heels of a series of actions from Trump further restricting immigration and barring migrants from moving forward with their cases.
The administration has announced that the travel restrictions are a matter of national security, arguing that countries can get off the list if they improve vetting procedures or work with the U.S. For example, Tuesday’s proclamation lifts a ban on nonimmigrant visas for those from Turkmenistan, citing “significant progress” since the last iteration of a travel ban.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this month previewed that the administration intended to expand the scope of the travel ban to cover more than 30 countries.
Her remarks came in the wake of a shooting in Washington of two National Guard members. The accused shooter is an Afghan native, and the incident sparked calls from Trump and other Republicans who pushed to further restrict the entry of foreign nationals into the U.S.
Trump has sought to drastically reduce the number of immigrants and refugees who can enter the U.S. since taking office.
The administration has already paused all pending asylum applications for those from across the globe seeking refuge in the U.S. Trump last month set the refugee cap to its lowest level in history, allowing the U.S. to admit just 7,500 refugees — down from the 125,000 cap set under Biden.
