Former US President Donald Trump has signed a new proclamation further tightening restrictions on the entry of foreign nationals into the United States, the White House announced on Tuesday.
Under the order, the US imposed full entry restrictions on nationals from five additional countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. The proclamation also places full restrictions on individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents.
The decision marks an escalation of Trump’s renewed immigration crackdown following the 26 November shooting of two National Guard members in Washington DC. Authorities identified the suspect as an Afghan national who previously served in a CIA-linked unit in Afghanistan and was admitted into the US after the American withdrawal in 2021. He was granted asylum earlier this year after undergoing vetting.
The Trump administration has cited the incident as justification for tightening immigration controls, with the former president using the case to reinforce his long-standing hardline stance on border security. In recent days, Trump has also faced criticism for incendiary and racially charged rhetoric directed at some immigrant groups.
Syria’s inclusion on the expanded ban comes just days after three Americans — two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter — were killed in an attack in the country, which Washington blamed on the Islamic State. The move followed Trump’s recent meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House.
A White House fact sheet explained that Syria was added due to concerns over documentation and screening processes. “While the country is working closely with the United States on security challenges, Syria lacks an adequate central authority for issuing passports and does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures,” the statement said.
In addition to the full bans, the proclamation introduced partial entry restrictions on nationals from 15 more countries, including Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, among others.
The expanded restrictions follow earlier remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on December 5, in which she signaled plans to widen the scope of US travel bans.
According to the proclamation, the measures are “necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose,” adding that the president has a duty to ensure those entering the country “will not harm the American people.”
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