Trump Expands US Travel Ban To Five Countries, Including Afghan SIV Holders

The White House announced that President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning citizens from five additional countries, Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, and South Sudan, from entering the United States.

The statement, released on Tuesday, also specified that Palestinians holding passports issued by the Palestinian Authority are included in the travel restrictions. The US government cited national security, immigration law enforcement, and potential threats as the rationale for the action.

The new order continues Trump's broader campaign to restrict migration. In June, he had already banned entry from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Libya, and Yemen. Visa restrictions were also tightened for citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The travel ban has recently been extended to include Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders, leaving thousands of former US collaborators and their families in limbo. Afghan Evac and other advocacy groups have warned that this move separates families, delays resettlement, and undermines trust in US commitments to local partners.

The latest restrictions also affect citizens of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The order will take effect on 1 January 2026.

Trump's policies on migration build on similar measures from his first term, which barred entry to seven predominantly Muslim countries. In January, he also suspended key refugee programs, halting support for Afghans who had worked with the US and leaving tens of thousands stranded in uncertainty.

Experts note that the expanded travel ban reflects Washington's continued focus on controlling migration and border security. However, critics argue it risks isolating vulnerable populations, complicating refugee resettlement, and straining international relations.

Human rights groups have highlighted the humanitarian consequences, emphasizing that the ban threatens family reunification and leaves refugee applicants, including Afghan SIV holders, in precarious conditions.

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