The Trump administration is considering targeting the citizens of as many as 43 countries as part of a new ban on travel to the United States that would be broader than the restrictions imposed during President Trump’s first term, according to officials familiar with the matter.
A draft list of recommendations developed by diplomatic and security officials suggests a “red” list of 11 countries whose citizens would be flatly barred from entering the United States. They are Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen, the officials said.
Draft List of Proposed Travel Ban Countries
An internal Trump administration proposal lists the following countries whose citizens could face restrictions on entering the U.S. Some countries may change in any final order.
A. Red Group (Total Ban – 11 Countries)
Nationals from these countries would be completely barred from entering the United States:
Afghanistan
Iran
Sudan
Syria
Libya
Cuba
Bhutan
Venezuela
North Korea
Yemen
Somalia
B. Orange Group (Severe Visa Restrictions – 10 Countries)
Visas for citizens of these countries would be sharply restricted:
Russia
Belarus
Myanmar
Sierra Leone
South Sudan
Pakistan
Laos
Turkmenistan
Haiti
Eritrea
C. Yellow Group (60-Day Review Period – 22 Countries)
Countries in this category have 60 days to address concerns raised by the US government. These nations include:
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Chad
Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo
Dominica
Equatorial Guinea
Gambia
Liberia
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
São Tomé and Príncipe
Vanuatu
Zimbabwe
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal deliberations, cautioned that the list had been developed by the State Department several weeks ago, and that changes were likely by the time it reached the White House.
Officials at embassies and in regional bureaus at the State Department, and security specialists at other departments and intelligence agencies, have been reviewing the draft. They are providing comment about whether descriptions of deficiencies in particular countries are accurate or whether there are policy reasons — like not risking disruption to cooperation on some other priority — to reconsider including some.
