Trump Considers New Travel Ban Affecting 41 Countries

 U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly evaluating a potential travel ban on 41 countries. If implemented, this move could have significant global implications. Read more on the latest updates.

The Trump administration is contemplating implementing extensive travel restrictions for citizens from 41 countries as part of a new ban.

According to Reuters, which cited sources and an internal memo on Saturday, a total of 41 countries are listed and divided into three distinct groups.

The initial group of 10 countries, which includes Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea and several others would face a complete suspension of visas.

In the second group, five countries—Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan—are set to experience partial suspensions affecting tourist visas and student visas in addition to other immigrant visa categories. However, there will be some exceptions.

The memo stated that in the third group, 26 countries including Belarus, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan among others could face a partial suspension of U.S. visa issuance if their governments “do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days.”

A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, warned that the list might be subject to changes and had not yet received approval from the administration, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The decision is reminiscent of President Donald Trump’s initial ban during his first term on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries, a policy that underwent multiple revisions before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.

On January 20, Trump signed an executive order mandating enhanced security screening for all foreigners applying to enter the U.S. in order to identify potential national security threats.

The order instructed several cabinet members to provide a list by March 21 of countries for which travel should be partly or fully suspended due to their “insufficient vetting and screening information.”

Trump’s directive is part of an immigration crackdown that he initiated at the beginning of his second term.

In a speech delivered in October 2023, he outlined his plan to impose restrictions on individuals from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “any other place that poses a threat to our security.”