The United States is once again tightening its immigration policies. On Tuesday, the White House announced an extension of the so-called travel ban, now affecting an additional 20 countries, while keeping Cuba under partial entry restrictions. This move underscores the drastic shift spearheaded by President Donald Trump since his return to office.
According to an official White House fact sheet, President Trump signed a new Presidential Proclamation aimed at "further restricting and limiting the entry of foreign nationals" from countries deemed by Washington to have significant and ongoing deficiencies in verification systems, document control, and security cooperation. The stated goal is to safeguard the national security and public order of the United States.
The proclamation maintains the core of the existing ban, which has been in place since June, and introduces full suspensions for citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria.
However, the changes extend beyond these five nations. The proclamation imposes total restrictions on those attempting to travel with documents issued by the Palestinian Authority, a politically and symbolically significant addition to the measure's scope.
Expansion Details and Country List
The expansion includes: on one hand, five new countries facing total suspension, and on the other, 15 new countries under partial restrictions: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
A significant change accompanies this update, with Laos and Sierra Leone moving from partial to total restrictions, as reported in the proclamation.
With this update, the group of countries facing total suspension includes the 12 originally restricted since June—Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen—along with the newly added Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, as well as the increased restrictions for Laos and Sierra Leone, and the new closure for travelers with Palestinian Authority documents.
Partial restrictions remain for Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela, as the government adjusts its stance on other cases, such as Turkmenistan, which is reported to have a partial relief approach for certain visas.
Cuba's Situation: Partial, Yet Impactful
For Cubans, the news presents a mixed reality. Although Cuba was not newly added, as it was already part of the travel ban, it remains in the group with partial restrictions. This keeps key travel categories blocked, exacerbating the climate of uncertainty.
In practice, restrictions related to Cuba have focused on tourist and business visas (B-1/B-2) and academic or exchange visas (F, M, J), as per the official implementation reported in June by the State Department.
Despite bureaucratic language, the human impact is undeniable: families counting the days for reunions, individuals with purchased tickets, "in-progress" paperwork, educational plans, or visits for medical reasons, all caught in an increasingly rigid immigration policy.
Although the proclamation allows for exceptions for permanent residents, holders of already issued visas, and specific cases, the expansion of the ban confirms that Washington is committed to a sustained hardline approach, rather than a temporary measure.
Understanding the New U.S. Travel Ban
Which countries are newly affected by the travel ban?
The travel ban now fully suspends citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. Additionally, it partially restricts 15 other countries, including Angola and Nigeria.
How does the travel ban impact Cuba?
Cuba remains under partial restrictions, affecting key visa categories like tourism and business. The impact is significant, maintaining a climate of uncertainty for Cuban nationals.
What are the exceptions to the travel ban?
Exceptions include permanent residents, holders of already issued visas, and specific cases outlined by the new proclamation.