I have received numerous inquiries regarding the recent U.S. travel restrictions, including questions about the countries initially designated and those added on December 15, 2025.

Travel bans as a policy tool frequently generate reciprocal diplomatic responses. Countries whose nationals are barred from entry into the United States often respond by restricting or delaying visa issuance to U.S. passport holders. Such reciprocal actions can escalate into prolonged diplomatic stalemates, creating significant disruption for travelers, families, and commercial interests in multiple jurisdictions.

These measures also tend to become highly politicized, regardless of the stated rationale. Based on decades of professional engagement with foreign governments on sensitive and complex matters, I have consistently observed that sustained diplomatic dialogue is more effective in achieving long-term policy objectives than measures perceived as coercive or punitive. This conclusion is informed by direct experience in bilateral and multilateral engagements.

The current restrictions have broad and consequential impacts. They affect immediate and extended family members of U.S. citizens residing abroad in those countries, impede international adoption processes, and create logistical and diplomatic challenges for major international events, including the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympic Games, both scheduled to take place in Los Angeles.

Countries Newly Subject to Entry Restrictions

The most recent group of countries subject to restrictions on entry into the United States includes:

  • Burkina Faso

  • Laos

  • Mali

  • Niger

  • Sierra Leone

  • South Sudan

  • Syria

  • Individuals traveling on a Palestinian Authority Travel Document

Expanded Visa Prohibitions

In addition, nationals of the following 19 countries are now subject to prohibitions on all immigrant visas as well as nonimmigrant tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas (B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J classifications):

  • Angola

  • Antigua and Barbuda

  • Benin

  • Burundi

  • Côte d’Ivoire

  • Cuba

  • Dominica

  • Gabon

  • The Gambia

  • Malawi

  • Mauritania

  • Nigeria

  • Senegal

  • Tanzania

  • Togo

  • Tonga

  • Venezuela

  • Zambia

  • Zimbabwe

The stated justification for these restrictions centers on national security vetting concerns and visa overstay rates. However, no publicly available or independently verifiable evidence has been released to substantiate these claims. Several affected governments have characterized the measures as discriminatory, asserting that they amount to a de facto ban targeting Muslim-malority and African nations.