Trump Travel Ban May be Expanded in 2025: Which countries could be affected

The Trump administration may soon expand its travel ban to as many as 30 additional countries, CBS News reports, citing a White House official who spoke under anonymity.

As of December 3, no federal agency has acted to expand the travel ban, which currently includes 19 countries with full or partial restrictions. However, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has confirmed that she seeks to expand the list.

This move comes as a response to a D.C. shooting that occurred on November 26, where law enforcement arrested an Afghan national on charges of killing one national guard member and injuring another. 

Which countries could be affected by the expanded travel ban?

No official source has stated which countries could be added to the expanded travel ban. However, both Reuters and the New York Times have reported on potential additional countries that could be added to the travel ban list, from their own White House sources.

Based on their reporting, potential countries that may be added in the expanded travel ban include:

• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Belarus
• Benin
• Bhutan
• Burkina Faso
• Cabo Verde
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Cote D’Ivoire
• Congo
• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Ethiopia
• Egypt
• Gabon
• The Gambia
• Ghana
• Kyrgyzstan
• Liberia
• Malawi
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Niger
• Nigeria
• North Korea
• Pakistan
• Russia
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Senegal
• South Sudan
• Syria
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• Vanuatu
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

This is not an exhaustive or definitive list. The actual countries added may change as more updates come in the near future. 

Immigration attorney explains potential expanded travel ban

Henry Lindpere, Senior Counsel at Manifest Law, provides some context and guidance for foreing nationals who may be impacted by a potentially expanded travel ban: 

“We are not trying to scare people, but we do want potentially impacted people to be ready. The President can prohibit the entry of foreign nationals with broad discretion under the INA Section 212(f). The best defense for a foreign national on the ban list would be already being in the United States. 

So we would recommend people with passports from these countries to return to the U.S. if they can. Just like previous proclamations, a new travel ban may go into effect very suddenly, leaving little time to react. And if you are already inside the U.S., I would recommend postponing any international travel unless it is absolutely necessary. Ultimately, it is up to every individual what their risk tolerance is. We want to put people in the most legally defensible position; and being in the U.S. is better than being outside of it during an uncertain time like now, just in case a new travel ban comes out.”

Which countries are already under a travel ban?

Earlier in June 2025, President Trump released an executive action that placed travel restrictions on 19 countries. 

Right now, the U.S. government has placed full restrictions on the following 12 countries:

• Afghanistan
• Myanmar (Burma)
• Chad
• Republic of Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Libya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen

In addition, seven countries have had partial restrictions placed upon them. These are:

• Burundi
• Cuba
• Laos
• Sierra Leone
• Togo
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela

Looking forward and next steps

While no new travel restrictions have taken effect yet, recent actions from USCIS and public statements from DHS leadership suggest that additional changes may come with little advance notice. 

If you think you could be affected by these developments or have upcoming travel or pending applications, you may want to review your options with an immigration professional. Request a consultation with Manifest or book a brief call with an attorney to ask your legal questions here.