US to Impose Strict Travel Bans on 43 Nations in Major Immigration Crackdown.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering broad new travel restrictions targeting citizens from 43 different countries. This move would extend the immigration crackdown that President Donald Trump began at the start of his second term in January.
According to a report from The New York Times, an internal government memo outlines plans to categorize these countries into three distinct groups, each facing different levels of travel restrictions. The first category, referred to as the “red list,” includes 11 countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. Citizens from these nations would face a complete travel ban, meaning they would be barred entirely from entering the United States.
The second group, labeled the “orange list,” consists of 10 countries where travel would be limited but not entirely prohibited. While general immigrant and tourist visas would be restricted, business travelers from these nations could still be allowed entry under certain conditions. The countries in this category include Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan.
The third category, known as the “yellow list,” is the largest, comprising 22 countries. Nations on this list would have 60 days to address what the Trump administration views as deficiencies in their security or immigration processes. If they fail to comply, they risk being moved to the red or orange list, facing harsher restrictions. The countries in this category include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe.
A US government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that the proposed list is not yet final. Changes could still be made before the plan receives official approval from the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. If implemented, this sweeping policy could significantly alter global travel patterns and heighten tensions between the United States and the affected countries.
