Ghana Faces Possible U.S. Travel Ban Under Trump Crackdown
Trump pushes tougher immigration controls as 36 nations, including Ghana, face travel ban threat.
The Trump administration is considering implementing travel restrictions on 36 additional countries, including some key U.S. partners such as Egypt and Djibouti, according to an internal memo seen by The Washington Post.
The memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and sent to U.S. diplomats on Saturday, states that the governments of the listed countries have 60 days to meet new requirements established by the State Department.
Benchmarks and Concerns
The State Department alleges that some of the targeted nations have not met critical benchmarks. These include the lack of a “competent or cooperative central government authority” capable of providing reliable identity documents, or having a large number of citizens who have violated the terms of their U.S. visas.
However, the memo includes a caveat: if a country agrees to accept third-country nationals being removed from the U.S., it may ease other concerns and reduce the likelihood of full restrictions.
Countries Affected
The list of potentially affected nations includes 25 countries in Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Caribbean nations on the list include Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia.
Asian countries named in the memo are Bhutan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, and Syria.
From Oceania, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are listed.
Compliance Deadline
The listed countries have until Wednesday at 8 a.m. to submit an initial plan of action to the State Department outlining how they intend to meet the new requirements. It remains unclear whether travel restrictions will automatically take effect after the deadline passes.
Part of Broader Immigration Crackdown
News of the memo comes just one week after President Trump reinstated his first-term travel ban and announced a new full travel ban on 12 countries, along with travel restrictions on seven others.
In January, Trump signed an executive order directing the State Department to identify countries “for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension” of entry for their nationals.
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These actions are part of the administration’s broader crackdown on immigration. Domestically, this includes a mass deportation campaign targeting undocumented immigrants. Internationally, it involves restricting travel to and from countries considered security risks.
Although Trump’s hardlines immigration stance was expected during his second term, the scope and intensity of these recent measures have taken many lawmakers and U.S. residents by surprise.
The Washington Post
