Trump plans sweeping new travel ban targeting 36 nations
The Trump administration is weighing a sweeping expansion of its travel ban policy, potentially barring entry to citizens from an additional 36 countries across Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Pacific, according to a confidential State Department memo.
The internal memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and circulated to U.S. embassies and foreign posts over the weekend, signals a new phase in the administration’s crackdown on immigration and border security. It directs U.S. diplomats to alert foreign governments that they have 60 days to meet newly imposed identity verification and immigration compliance standards, or face partial or full travel restrictions.
The list of targeted countries includes key U.S. partners such as Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, and Djibouti, along with smaller nations like Saint Kitts and Nevis, Tuvalu, and Bhutan. A total of 25 African nations appear on the list—a detail that has reignited accusations of regional and racial bias.
The memo outlines multiple grounds for the proposed bans. Some governments, it alleges, lack competent or cooperative civil registry systems to provide verifiable identity documents. Others are said to tolerate high levels of document fraud or have citizens who frequently overstay visas once inside the U.S.
Also cited are “security risks,” such as offering citizenship to foreign nationals in exchange for investment without requiring residency—a practice critics say can undermine international vetting protocols. In several cases, the memo claims that individuals from the listed countries have participated in “anti-American or antisemitic activity” within the United States.
The proposed expansion builds on the Trump administration’s earlier immigration actions. In early June, a presidential proclamation fully banned entry from 13 countries—including Iran, Libya, and Somalia—while partially restricting entry from several others, such as Cuba and Venezuela.
This latest move could revive legal challenges similar to those sparked by the original 2017 travel ban targeting Muslim-majority nations. That executive order led to widespread airport chaos, mass protests, and multiple lawsuits before the Supreme Court upheld a revised version in 2018.
The ban was rescinded under President Joe Biden. However, Trump has long promised a more “robust and comprehensive” replacement. On his first day in office this year, Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to reevaluate screening processes and identify countries with “insufficient cooperation” on security matters.
Though the White House has not issued a formal comment on the memo, and the State Department declined to respond to media inquiries, diplomatic officials from several listed countries have already voiced concern privately, according to sources.
Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups have also criticized the proposal. “This is not about national security—it’s about targeting Black, brown, and vulnerable communities under the guise of immigration policy,” said Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN), an outspoken critic of Trump-era travel restrictions.
Legal experts say that unless specific criteria are disclosed publicly and applied consistently, the administration could again face legal challenges over the constitutionality of the bans.
If implemented, the restrictions could have far-reaching implications for international students, business travel, family reunification, and refugee resettlement—particularly for African nations that maintain strong educational and security ties with the U.S.
As of now, the 36 named countries have until early August to respond with corrective action plans. It remains unclear when, or if, the restrictions will officially take effect.
