The Trump administration is considering imposing broad travel restrictions on citizens from dozens of countries as part of a new ban, according to sources familiar with the matter and an internal memo obtained by Reuters.
The memo identifies 41 countries divided into three groups. The first group includes 10 countries, such as Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea, which would face a full suspension of visas.
The second group, which includes Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan, would experience partial suspensions, affecting tourist, student, and certain immigrant visas, with some exceptions.
The third group, consisting of 26 countries, including Belarus, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, would be subject to a partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments do not address deficiencies within 60 days, according to the memo.
A US official, speaking anonymously, warned that the list could change and is still subject to approval by the administration, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The New York Times was the first to report on the list of countries.
This proposal mirrors President Donald Trump’s first-term ban on travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries, a policy that underwent several revisions before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Trump issued an executive order on January 20, requiring enhanced security vetting for foreigners seeking to enter the US to identify national security threats.
The order directed cabinet members to submit by March 21 a list of countries from which travel should be partially or fully suspended due to deficiencies in their vetting and screening processes.
This directive is part of an immigration crackdown launched at the beginning of Trump’s second term. He previewed the plan in an October 2023 speech, vowing to restrict travel from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and “anywhere else that threatens our security.”
The State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
