Trump Administration May Consider Imposing Travel Restrictions on 41 Countries

The Trump administration is reportedly considering a large-scale travel ban, though the exact number of countries affected remains uncertain.
According to Reuters, the New York Times reported that a leaked Trump administration memo suggests plans to impose travel restrictions on as many as 41 countries. However, in the original New York Times report, the number is stated as 43. The nations are categorized into three groups: the Red List, the Orange List, and the Yellow List.

Red List (Absolute Travel Ban): Countries placed on the Red List face a complete ban on travel to the U.S. These include Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. Notably, Bhutan’s inclusion on the list has come as a surprise.

Orange List (Partial Travel Suspensions): Countries on the Orange List—Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan—will face partial travel suspensions. Affluent business travelers might be allowed to enter, The New York Times has noted. These restrictions would impact tourist and student visas, as well as other immigrant visas, with some exceptions, according to Reuters. Additionally, citizens of these countries would be required to undergo mandatory in-person interviews to obtain a visa.

The New York Times has reported that while some countries on the draft Red and Orange Lists were sanctioned under Mr. Trump's first-term travel bans, many others are newly added.

Yellow List (Conditional Restrictions): The Yellow List consists of over 20 countries that could be moved onto Red or Orange list if their governments fail to address certain deficiencies within 60 days. 
Countries in this category reportedly include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Republic of Congo, Dem. Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe.

However, a U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that the list had been developed by the State Department several weeks ago and is subject to change and has yet to receive final approval from the administration.

During his first term, former President Trump imposed travel restrictions on several Muslim-majority countries, a policy that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. President Joe Biden later revoked the ban, calling it “a stain on our national conscience” and inconsistent with America’s long-standing tradition of welcoming people from all backgrounds. However, The New York Times reported that in an executive order issued in January, President Trump stated that he would revive the bans to protect Americans from “aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks.”

No official bans have been announced yet. 

Further developments on the new travel restrictions are awaited as the administration finalizes its decision.