President Donald Trump on Tuesday expanded the United States travel ban by barring nationals of seven additional countries, including Syria, as well as holders of Palestinian Authority-issued passports, from entering the country.
In a statement, the White House said Trump signed a proclamation to strengthen entry restrictions on nationals from countries that demonstrate persistent shortcomings in screening, vetting, and information sharing. The administration said the measures are designed to protect the United States from national security and public safety threats.
Under the expanded restrictions, citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria are now subject to entry bans. The proclamation also applies to individuals travelling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents. Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously subject to partial restrictions, now face a full ban.
The White House said the new measures will take effect on January 1.
The decision comes despite Trump’s earlier public support for Syria’s new leadership following landmark talks in November with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa, a former rebel commander once designated by Washington, has sought to reframe his image as a unifying leader after the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
AMERICA FIRST SECURITY 🇺🇸
President Donald J. Trump just signed a new Proclamation, STRENGTHENING our borders & national security with data-driven restrictions on high-risk countries with severe deficiencies in screening & vetting. pic.twitter.com/DZmqpkerKb
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 16, 2025However, Trump struck a tougher tone days earlier after the US military reported that two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria during an attack on a joint US-Syrian convoy by a suspected Daesh assailant. Trump described the incident as a “terrible” attack and warned of serious retaliation.
In justifying Syria’s inclusion, the White House cited high visa overstay rates and institutional weaknesses. It said Syria continues to lack a reliable central authority for issuing passports and civil documents and does not yet have adequate screening and vetting systems in place, despite ongoing coordination with the United States.
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The latest move builds on a proclamation Trump signed in June that imposed full travel bans on citizens from 12 countries and partial restrictions on seven others. Those measures remain in force and apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, including tourists, students, and business travellers.
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The administration has also expanded partial entry restrictions to an additional 15 countries, including Nigeria. Trump has previously criticised Nigeria over the treatment of Christians, although Nigerian authorities have rejected allegations of religious persecution and say the issue reflects broader security challenges.
Since returning to the office in January, Trump has prioritised strict immigration enforcement. His administration has increased federal operations in major US cities and tightened controls at the US-Mexico border, sharply reducing access to asylum.
Officials say the latest expansion follows heightened security concerns after the fatal shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, last month. Investigators said the suspect was an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 through a resettlement programme that Trump allies argue lacked sufficient vetting.
