Politics

The Trump administration revealed on Tuesday that it will broaden its travel restrictions to include 20 more countries and the Palestinian Authority. This new action doubles the number of nations affected by earlier travel and immigration limits set this year. Along with five additional countries, the administration has now banned travel to the U.S. for individuals holding documents from the Palestinian Authority. It also introduced new limits for 15 other countries. This decision is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen U.S. entry rules, which critics argue unfairly restrict travel for people from many nations. The administration hinted at expanding these restrictions after an Afghan national was arrested, suspected of shooting two National Guard members over the Thanksgiving weekend. Those who already possess visas, are lawful permanent residents of the U.S., or belong to specific visa categories such as diplomats or athletes will not be affected by these new rules. The updated restrictions will take effect on January 1. In June, President Donald Trump had announced a ban on citizens from 12 countries and imposed restrictions on visitors from seven others. This action revived a key policy from his first term. The initial ban included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, and heightened restrictions for travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. On Tuesday, the Republican administration added Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria to the list of countries whose citizens are now barred from entering the U.S. It also imposed a full travel ban on individuals with Palestinian Authority travel documents, marking yet another U.S. travel restriction affecting Palestinians. South Sudan already faced significant travel limits. Additionally, 15 more countries have been placed under partial restrictions, including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Ivory Coast, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. These restrictions will affect those looking to travel to the U.S. for visits or to immigrate.