Trump administration weighs travel ban on dozens of countries, memo says

The Trump administration is contemplating implementing extensive travel restrictions for citizens from numerous countries as part of a new prohibition, based on information from sources familiar with the situation and an internal memo obtained by Reuters.

The memo identifies a total of 41 nations categorized into three distinct groups. The initial set of 10 nations, featuring Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea among others, would face a complete suspension of visas.

In the second group, five nations — Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan — would experience partial suspensions affecting tourist and student visas along with other immigrant visas, with certain exceptions.

The third group comprises 26 nations, including Belarus, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, which may face a partial suspension of U.S. visa issuance if their governments “fail to take steps to rectify deficiencies within 60 days,” according to the memo.

A U.S. official, who requested to remain unnamed, warned that alterations to the list might occur and that it still requires approval from the administration, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The action recalls President Donald Trump’s initial ban on visitors from seven predominantly Muslim countries, a measure that underwent multiple changes before being affirmed by the Supreme Court in 2018.

On January 20, Trump signed an executive order mandating enhanced security vetting for any foreign nationals wishing to enter the U.S. to identify potential national security risks. This directive instructed various cabinet members to provide by March 21 a list of nations from which travel should be partially or completely halted due to their “insufficient vetting and screening data.”