According to the administration of President Donald Trump, officials are working on a list of countries whose citizens will be prohibited from entrance into the U.S. The list is said to be organized in three tiers by color, with a total ban on countries in the “red” tier. These “red” tier countries will most likely include Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the same countries Trump tried to ban in his first term, which were Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
The “orange” tier, which includes countries whose citizens are likely to be limited from entering but not entirely banned, are Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan.
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The “yellow” tier will likely include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe. The Trump administration is giving countries in the “yellow” tier 60 days to address its concerns over alleged “deficiencies.” If these nations don’t comply, they risk being placed on the red or orange lists.
Immigration lawyers recommend that people from these countries not travel to their countries of origin, even with a valid green card or visa. If they are already abroad, they are urged to return to the U.S. as soon as possible.
Trump’s travel bans began in 2017, initially targeting Muslim-majority nations. Courts blocked early versions, but later the Supreme Court upheld a revised ban. Former President Joe Biden rescinded these bans in 2021.
