The United States has proposed a major new expansion of its travel ban policy, adding Egypt, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Bhutan and 30 other countries to a growing list of affected nations.
A leaked memo from the State Department reveals that these countries have 60 days to meet new U.S. vetting and cooperation standards. If they fail to do so, their citizens could face full or partial bans on entering the USA.
The policy expansion signals the largest shift in U.S. immigration enforcement since the original Trump-era bans were implemented. According to a memo reviewed by The Washington Post, the affected governments were informed through diplomatic channels that they must act promptly to avoid restrictive measures.
The new policy is rooted in national security and policy concerns, the memo says. Some countries were identified as having unreliable civil documents or a high risk of fraud, while others were listed due to high visa overstay rates or “citizenship for sale” schemes.
The U.S. administration also cited additional factors in its decision, including antisemitic and anti-American activity allegedly tied to nationals from some of the targeted countries, and the unwillingness of certain governments to repatriate their deported citizens.
In some cases, the policy aims to pressure countries into signing “safe third country” agreements or accepting deportees from the USA who are currently stranded there.
The list of affected countries in Africa includes Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The Caribbean islands affected are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia. Bhutan and Kyrgyzstan were added from Asia and Central Asia, while the Pacific islands of Cambodia, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu were also listed. Syria was included in the expansion, although it was already subject to previous bans.
The proposal has already triggered backlash and protests across the USA. On June 14, 2025, the “No Kings” demonstrations were held in more than 2,000 cities and towns. From New York and Los Angeles to Chicago, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, marchers filled the streets to denounce what they called racist and exclusionary policies.
Protesters held up placards with messages such as “Ban the Ban”, “Immigrants Belong Here”, and “No Walls, No Bans”—slogans first used in 2017 when the initial travel bans were put in place. The expansion now covers even more nations, many from Africa, the Caribbean, and Muslim-majority regions.
In San Francisco, Charlotte, and Dallas, community organizers, civil rights advocates, and clergy members led peaceful rallies and candlelight vigils. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, National Guard troops were deployed to maintain order, although the demonstrations remained largely peaceful.
