Trump expands travel ban to 39 countries, adds Palestine

On Dec. 16, 2025, the Trump administration expanded its travel and immigration ban to include 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority. The expanded ban took effect on Jan. 1, 2026. When the expanded ban took effect, the Trump administration limited or barred entry into the U.S. for people from almost 20 percent of the countries in the world.

Countries facing full suspension of entry include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and individuals with Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. Full suspension means nationals can't enter the U.S. under most visa categories.

Countries with partial restrictions include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Partial restrictions limit certain visa categories but don't ban all entry.

The administration justified the Palestinian Authority restriction by citing U.S.-designated terrorist groups operating in the West Bank or Gaza Strip. The administration said the recent war likely resulted in compromised vetting and screening abilities. The administration said individuals attempting to travel on PA-issued travel documents can't currently be properly vetted.

Critics say the ban targets Muslim-majority, Black-majority, Brown-majority, African, and Southeast Asian countries. Civil rights groups filed lawsuits challenging the ban as discriminatory. The Presidents' Alliance condemned the drastic expansion of the travel ban.

The expansion builds on Trump's original 2017 travel ban that targeted seven Muslim-majority countries. Courts struck down parts of that ban as discriminatory before the Supreme Court upheld a revised version in 2018. President Biden rescinded the original travel ban on his first day in office in 2021.

The new ban affects students, family members seeking to reunite, refugees, and employment-based visa holders. Universities reported immediate impacts on international student enrollment from affected countries. The State Department said it would process waiver requests on a case-by-case basis but didn't specify criteria.