US Implements Full Entry Ban on Syria and Palestine; Restriction List Expands to 39 Nations

In a significant expansion of the administration's immigration policy, President Donald Trump has added seven additional jurisdictions to a full travel ban list, effective January 1, 2026. The new restrictions target citizens of Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and South Sudan, as well as individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents. Additionally, the administration upgraded Laos and Sierra Leone from partial to full ban status, citing persistent deficiencies in security screening, vetting, and information-sharing. This latest proclamation doubles down on a policy first established in June 2025, which originally banned 12 countries, bringing the total number of nations under a complete travel ban to approximately 20.

The inclusion of Syria marks a sharp diplomatic reversal following President Trump’s high-profile meeting in November with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Despite previously pledging support for Sharaa—a former rebel commander who recently toppled Bashar al-Assad—Trump shifted his stance following a suspected Islamic State attack on December 13 that killed two U.S. National Guard members and a civilian interpreter in Syria. While the White House officially justified the ban by citing Syria’s high visa overstay rates and lack of a central vetting authority, the move followed Trump’s public vow on Truth Social for "very serious retaliation" against security threats emerging from the region.

This escalation is part of a broader "aggressive" prioritization of immigration enforcement that has intensified since late November, following a shooting in Washington, D.C., involving an Afghan national. Beyond the full bans, the administration has imposed partial restrictions or heightened scrutiny on 15 other nations, including Nigeria. These measures coincide with President Trump’s recent pledge to "permanently pause" migration from what he characterized as "Third World Countries" and his ongoing efforts to deploy federal agents for domestic enforcement and turn away asylum seekers at the southern border.