Trump Restricts Travel From 20 More Countries

The Trump administration announced entry restrictions on 20 more countries Tuesday, including Nigeria, a top source of international students for U.S. colleges and universities.

The proclamation expands the number of countries under a full or partial ban from 19 announced in June to 39. Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria are the five new countries that are fully banned.

Partial restrictions will now be applied to people from Nigeria as well as Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In the proclamation, the White House said the bans are “necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives”.

According to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the updated travel ban goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026 and existing visa holders are exempted.

In a statement, the organization said the bans were “anticipated” but still “disappointing and misguided.”

“Relying on travel bans to act as a shield rather than relying on the strength of U.S. vetting protocols is essentially a retreat from global engagement. Our isolationism will create a vacuum that other enterprising nations will gladly fill,” NAFSA said. “At a time when countries including China, Canada, Germany, and Japan are actively courting talented students, scholars, and researchers from around the world, this travel ban sends the message that the United States is better off without their contributions.”