US President Donald Trump has significantly widened the United States travel ban, blocking entry for people from seven additional countries, including Syria, and extending restrictions to holders of Palestinian Authority passports. The latest decision pushes the total number of affected countries to nearly 40, marking one of the broadest nationality based immigration crackdowns in recent US history.

According to a White House proclamation released on Tuesday, the expanded ban is intended to protect Americans from foreign nationals who may pose security risks or seek to destabilize the country’s institutions and cultural foundations. The administration insists the policy is rooted in national security concerns rather than discrimination.

New countries affected

Syria was added to the full ban only days after two US troops and a civilian were killed in the conflict ravaged country. Syrian authorities said the attacker was a member of the security forces who was scheduled for dismissal due to extremist Islamist views.

Several of Africa’s poorest nations were also placed under a full travel ban. They include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. Laos in Southeast Asia was similarly affected.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration imposed partial travel restrictions on citizens of other countries, including Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Senegal. The move has drawn attention because Senegal and Ivory Coast are expected to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. While officials have pledged that athletes will be allowed to enter, no assurances have been given for fans from restricted countries.

Other nations facing partial restrictions include Angola, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Antigua and Barbuda, and Tonga.

Palestinian passport holders affected

The administration has also extended the ban to Palestinian Authority passport holders. According to reports, this follows Washington’s strong opposition to recent moves by countries such as France and Britain toward recognizing a Palestinian state, a position the US government views as undermining Israel.

Criticism and humanitarian concerns

Human rights and refugee organizations have strongly criticized the expansion. Global Refuge, a Christian based humanitarian group, warned that the policy could endanger vulnerable people fleeing violence and persecution.

Its president and chief executive officer, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, said the administration was using security language to justify blanket exclusions rather than relying on individual and evidence based screening

Trump’s rhetoric on immigration has also intensified. At a recent campaign rally, he again used offensive language to describe certain countries and argued that the US should prioritize immigrants from nations such as Norway and Sweden. He has also made controversial remarks about Somali immigrants, following allegations of fraud involving a group of Somali Americans in Minnesota.

Somalia remains among the countries already under a full travel ban, alongside Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Sudan, and Yemen.

The administration has also further restricted refugee admissions. Last month, Trump ended a program that allowed Afghans who assisted US forces against the Taliban to resettle in America. This followed an incident in which an Afghan veteran suffering from apparent post traumatic stress disorder shot two National Guard troops in Washington.

At present, refugee admissions have been almost entirely halted, with the US largely accepting only white South Africans from the Afrikaner minority. The White House acknowledged that Turkmenistan had made “significant progress” and announced that its citizens would once again be eligible for US visas, though only for non immigrant travel.

Growing debate over immigration policy

The expanded travel ban has reignited debate over the direction of US immigration policy. Critics argue that the measures disproportionately affect non white populations and long standing US partners in Africa, some of which were previously praised by former President Joe Biden for their commitment to democracy.

Supporters of the policy, however, say the administration is acting within its rights to protect national security. As legal and political challenges loom, the impact of the expanded ban is likely to remain a major issue in domestic and international discussions.