A
leaked
State
Department
memo
reveals
that
these
nations
have
been
given
a
strict
60-day
deadline
to
meet
new
U.S.
vetting
and
cooperation
standards
or
risk
facing
full
or
partial
entry
bans,
signaling
the
largest
shift
in
U.S.
immigration
enforcement
since
the
original
Trump-era
restrictions.
According
to
a
State
Department
memo
reviewed
by The
Washington
Post,
U.S.
officials
have
informed
diplomats
in
Washington
and
abroad
that
governments
from
the
newly
targeted
countries
now
face
a
60-day
deadline
to
meet
strict
new
benchmarks.
If
they
fail
to
comply,
their
citizens
could
be
barred
from
entering
the
U.S.
under
a
new
wave
of
restrictions.
Why
These
Countries
Are
Being
Targeted
The
justification,
according
to
the
memo
signed
by
Secretary
of
State
Marco
Rubio,
is
rooted
in
a
range
of
national
security
and
policy
concerns.
Some
countries
reportedly
lack
reliable
civil
documentation
or
have
high
levels
of
government
fraud.
Others
were
flagged
for
having
large
populations
that
tend
to
overstay
their
U.S.
visas
or
offer
“citizenship
for
sale”
schemes
with
no
real
residency
requirements.
The
U.S.
administration
also
cited
additional
factors
such
as
antisemitic
and
anti-American
activity
allegedly
linked
to
nationals
from
some
of
the
countries,
and
unwillingness
to
repatriate
citizens
who
are
deported.
In
some
cases,
Washington
is
pressuring
countries
to
enter
“safe
third
country”
agreements
or
to
accept
third-country
nationals
removed
from
the
United
States.
The
Full
List
of
Countries
Under
Review
The
countries
facing
this
new
round
of
scrutiny
span
across
Africa,
the
Caribbean,
Central
Asia,
and
the
Pacific.
The
full
list
includes:
Africa
(25
nations):
Angola,
Benin,
Burkina
Faso,
Cabo
Verde,
Cameroon,
Côte
d’Ivoire,
Democratic
Republic
of
Congo,
Djibouti,
Egypt,
Ethiopia,
Gabon,
Gambia,
Ghana,
Liberia,
Malawi,
Mauritania,
Niger,
Nigeria,
Senegal,
South
Sudan,
Sao
Tome
and
Principe,
Tanzania,
Uganda,
Zambia,
Zimbabwe.
Caribbean
(4
nations):
Antigua
and
Barbuda,
Dominica,
Saint
Kitts
and
Nevis,
Saint
Lucia.
Asia
and
Central
Asia
(2
nations):
Bhutan,
Kyrgyzstan.
Pacific
Islands
(5
nations):
Cambodia,
Tonga,
Tuvalu,
Vanuatu,
Syria.
Yes—Syria was
also
included
in
this
round,
despite
already
being
the
subject
of
earlier
immigration
bans,
suggesting
a
reinforcement
or
reclassification
of
its
standing
in
U.S.
policy.
Previously
Restricted
Countries
Under
the
June
4
US
Travel
Ban
Under
the
June
4
presidential
proclamation,
the
United
States
imposed
full
or
partial
travel
restrictions
on
a
total
of 20
countries across
multiple
regions,
citing
concerns
over
national
security,
inadequate
identity
verification
systems,
and
lack
of
cooperation
on
deportation
agreements.
Middle
East
and
North
Africa
The
list
included
several
countries
from
the
Middle
East
and
North
Africa
region,
most
notably Iran, Libya, Sudan, Syria,
and Yemen.
These
nations
were
subjected
to
full
travel
bans,
primarily
due
to
long-standing
security
risks,
strained
diplomatic
ties,
and
alleged
links
to
terrorism-related
activities.
Sub-Saharan
Africa
In
Sub-Saharan
Africa,
the
U.S.
imposed
full
entry
bans
on Chad, Republic
of
Congo, Equatorial
Guinea, Eritrea, Somalia,
and Sudan (also
counted
in
the
MENA
region).
Additionally, Burundi, Sierra
Leone,
and Togo were
subjected
to
partial
restrictions,
often
affecting
specific
visa
categories
or
requiring
enhanced
screening.
Latin
America
and
the
Caribbean
From
the
Western
Hemisphere, Haiti, Cuba,
and Venezuela were
included.
While
Haiti
faced
full
restrictions,
Cuba
and
Venezuela
were
under
partial
sanctions,
with
visa
limitations
targeting
government
officials
or
certain
business
categories
rather
than
a
complete
travel
ban.
Asia
In
Asia, Myanmar and Laos appeared
on
the
list.
Myanmar
was
fully
restricted,
reflecting
political
instability
and
a
breakdown
in
democratic
governance. Laos,
on
the
other
hand,
faced
partial
restrictions
due
to
shortcomings
in
civil
documentation
and
vetting
protocols.
Central
Asia
Turkmenistan was
the
only
Central
Asian
nation
under
partial
restriction.
Its
inclusion
reflected
broader
concerns
over
identity
fraud
and
lack
of
cooperation
in
international
repatriation
processes.
South
Asia
Notably
absent
from
this
list
were
countries
from
South
Asia,
although
the
newer
memo
includes
Bhutan,
suggesting
a
shift
in
U.S.
policy
toward
broader
geographic
scrutiny.
Nationwide
Protests
Resurface
Across
the
US
Over
Earlier
Travel
Bans
as
Expansion
Looms
While
the
newly
proposed
travel
ban
expansion
has
grabbed
headlines,
the
protests
erupting
across
the
United
States
are
primarily
a
reaction
to
the existing
travel
restrictions that
were
reinstated
under
the
June
4
proclamation.
Those
earlier
bans
targeted
20
countries—including
Iran,
Libya,
Somalia,
Sudan,
Yemen,
and
several
African
nations—reviving
the
policies
first
introduced
during
President
Trump’s
first
term.
The
growing
backlash
culminated
on June
14,
2025,
with
the
nationwide “No
Kings”
demonstrations,
which
took
place
in
over 2,000
cities
and
towns.
From New
York
and
Los
Angeles
to
Chicago,
Atlanta,
and
Philadelphia,
protestors
flooded
streets
to
denounce
what
they
view
as racist,
exclusionary
immigration
policies.
While
the
new
proposal
to
add
36
more
countries—including
Egypt,
Tanzania,
Zimbabwe,
Dominica,
Saint
Lucia,
and
Bhutan—has
intensified
the
outrage,
the
protests
were
originally
sparked
by
the
reactivation
of
travel
bans
on
countries
already
affected
earlier
this
month.
Marchers
carried
signs
reading
“Ban
the
Ban,”
“Immigrants
Belong
Here,”
and
“No
Walls,
No
Bans,”
echoing
slogans
from
protests
held
in
2017
when
the
first
travel
ban
sparked
chaos
at
U.S.
airports.
Many
of
those
demonstrating
today
see
the
expansion
proposal
as
a
continuation
of
that
same
policy
framework—only
now
affecting
an
even
broader
range
of
nations,
many
of
them
in
Africa,
the
Caribbean,
and
Muslim-majority
regions.
In
cities
like San
Francisco, Charlotte,
and Dallas,
community
organizers,
civil
rights
leaders,
and
clergy
led
peaceful
rallies
and
candlelight
vigils.
Meanwhile,
in Los
Angeles,
heightened
tensions
prompted
the
deployment
of
National
Guard
units
to
maintain
order,
though
the
demonstrations
remained
largely
peaceful.
The
message
from
protestors
is
clear:
the
re-emergence
of
blanket
nationality-based
restrictions—no
matter
how
they
are
justified—remains
unacceptable.
As
the
U.S.
government
signals
a
wider
enforcement
strategy,
the
streets
are
once
again
echoing
with
the
same
call: “No
ban
ever
again.”
What
Happens
Next?
The
memo
sets
an
initial
deadline
for
these
countries
to
submit
an
action
plan
by
8
a.m.
Wednesday,
aiming
to
show
good-faith
efforts
to
comply
with
new
identity
verification,
visa
issuance,
and
cooperation
standards.
Countries
that
fail
to
demonstrate
measurable
progress
over
the
next
two
months
could
face
visa
suspensions,
travel
bans,
or
other
punitive
restrictions
affecting
everything
from
tourism
to
student
visas
and
work
permits.
For
some,
this
could
represent
a
massive
diplomatic
blow.
Egypt,
for
example,
is
a
long-standing
U.S.
partner
in
the
Middle
East.
Ghana,
Nigeria,
and
Ethiopia
have
deep
business
and
academic
ties
with
the
United
States.
The
inclusion
of
Caribbean
nations
like
Dominica
and
Saint
Lucia
could
strain
regional
relations,
especially
with
countries
that
depend
heavily
on
U.S.
tourism
and
investment.
Political
and
Public
Backlash
Builds
Critics
are
already
pushing
back.
Civil
rights
organizations,
Democratic
lawmakers,
and
immigrant
advocacy
groups
describe
the
move
as
a
rebranded
version
of
the
“Muslim
ban”
and
“Africa
ban”
introduced
during
Trump’s
first
term.
They
argue
that
it
disproportionately
affects
Black
and
brown
nations,
many
of
which
are
economically
or
politically
vulnerable.
“This
isn’t
about
security—it’s
about
exclusion,”
one
former
diplomat
told
a
regional
news
outlet.
“It
sends
a
message
that
entire
countries
full
of
people
are
untrustworthy,
simply
because
of
their
passport.”
Some
legal
experts
also
warn
that
implementing
such
wide
bans
may
provoke
lawsuits
similar
to
those
that
stalled
Trump’s
first
travel
ban
in
2017,
which
created
chaos
at
U.S.
airports
and
was
eventually
restructured
before
being
upheld
by
the
Supreme
Court
in
2018.
A
Return
to
Trump-Era
Policy?
The
timing
of
the
expansion
is
no
accident.
With
Trump
reportedly
planning
a
full
reinstatement
of
the
travel
ban
if
re-elected,
this
move
aligns
closely
with
his
stated
2024
campaign
promise
to
introduce
a
“bigger
and
broader”
version
of
his
previous
immigration
crackdowns.
In
fact,
the
June
4
proclamation
already
reinstated
full
entry
bans
on
countries
such
as
Afghanistan,
Iran,
Myanmar,
Somalia,
Libya,
and
Yemen.
That
order
also
partially
restricted
entry
from
Burundi,
Cuba,
Laos,
Togo,
Turkmenistan,
Venezuela,
and
Sierra
Leone.
The
current
expansion—if
enacted—would
build
on
that
foundation,
potentially
banning
entry
from over
50
nations
worldwide.
US
has
proposed
a
major
expansion
of
its
travel
ban
to
include
Egypt,
Tanzania,
Zimbabwe,
Dominica,
Saint
Lucia,
Bhutan,
and
thirty
other
countries,
citing
national
security
threats,
visa
overstays,
and
unreliable
identity
systems
as
key
concerns.
What
This
Means
for
Travelers
and
Governments
If
the
bans
go
into
effect,
travelers
from
affected
countries
could
face
rejected
visa
applications,
canceled
travel
plans,
or
delays
in
obtaining
work
or
student
permits.
Dual
nationals
might
be
caught
in
limbo,
especially
those
with
family
or
business
connections
in
the
U.S.
Governments
listed
in
the
memo
now
face
tough
diplomatic
choices.
Some
may
push
back
publicly,
while
others
may
quietly
attempt
to
meet
U.S.
demands
in
order
to
avoid
economic
fallout
and
diplomatic
friction.
Until
then,
the
world
waits
to
see
which
of
the
36
countries
can
meet
Washington’s
stringent
requirements—and
which
will
find
their
doors
to
America
abruptly
closed.
Post
published
in:
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