A new bill introduced in the US Congress aims to turn President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban into permanent law. The 'Third World Immigration Moratorium Act,' introduced by Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, would bar citizens of 39 countries from the Caribbean, Middle East, and Africa from entering the US.
In a written statement, Mace said, 'Washington looked the other way for too long while bad actors exploited every loophole in our system and American families paid the price. Those days are over.' The representative added, 'This bill makes it clear: entry to the US is a privilege, not a right. We make absolutely no apologies for defending that.'
39 countries on the ban list
The countries subject to travel restrictions under the bill are: Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Mace's bill would also bar entry to individuals traveling with documents issued by the Palestinian Authority. The legislation exempts certain categories, including lawful permanent residents, diplomats, NATO personnel, and some individuals fleeing ethnic or religious persecution in Iran.
Based on Trump administration bans
The Trump administration had reimposed travel bans on 12 countries in June 2025, following an Egyptian national accused of carrying out a deadly bombing attack on protesters demanding the release of hostages in Gaza in Boulder, Colorado.
President Trump more than doubled the list in November after an Afghan national killed 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, a member of the West Virginia National Guard, and seriously wounded 25-year-old US Air Force non-commissioned officer Andrew Wolfe in Washington, D.C. Both attackers were reported to have overstayed their visas and been in the country illegally.
Mace had previously introduced a bill that would bar naturalized citizens from serving in most levels of the federal government, including as members of Congress and federal judges. Mace, who lost the South Carolina governor's race earlier this year, is reportedly considering running in the primary to determine the successor to Senator Lindsey Graham, who died unexpectedly last Saturday evening.
