Following a campaign pledge and an initiative from Trump’s first day in office, titled ‘Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other’, the Trump administration has been ordered to establish vetting and screening standards and procedures for entry into the US. The ban could also significantly impact the 1.12 million international students in the country.
According to The New York Times, a list of countries had to be submitted by 21 March, naming those nations which failed to meet the standards due to “deficient” vetting and screening information. According to officials, the order is intended to protect the US from “aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.”
Red, orange and yellow countries
Citizens from 11 countries are expected to fall under the ‘red’ category of the ban and would be entirely barred from entering the US. These countries would include Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. However, US State Department is yet to deliver a definitieve list and changes could be applied.
Moreover, citizens from Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan are expected to face partial visa suspensions.
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Vanuatu, Gambia, the Dominican Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Liberia, Mauritania, Malawi, Mali, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Chad would be classified as ‘yellow’ countries, meaning they would be given 60 days to address concerns raised by Washington. If they fail to do so, they could be moved to the ‘red’ or ‘orange’ list.
As the administration has also asked officials to identify nationals from the listed countries who entered the US during the Biden administration and potentially remove them from the country, the travel ban does not only affect those attempting to enter the US, but also those already residing there, for example, international students.
NEW – Proposed travel ban countries list from Trump administration includes nations whose citizens may face US entry restrictions. List subject to change in final order. pic.twitter.com/ovL1a9qVPf
— Byte (@ByteEcosystem) March 15, 2025
Students urged not to leave the country
In light of the ban, several institutions of higher education are now urging their international students not to leave the US. Leaving the country could result in deportation upon attempted re-entry. Brown University, Columbia University, and Cornell University are among those that have already advised their international students to remain in the country — something many typically do during Spring Break.
“We understand that many in our community are feeling a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety as news media share reports of federal deportation actions against individuals who are non-U.S. citizens. Potential changes in travel restrictions and travel bans, visa procedures and processing, re-entry requirements, and other travel-related delays may affect travellers’ ability to return to the U.S. as planned,” said Russell C. Carey, executive vice president for planning and policy and interim vice president for campus life at Brown, in an email.
Overall, the US hosted 1.12 million international students in the 2023–2024 academic year. The states with the most international students were California (138,393), New York (126,782), and Texas (80,757). While the ban does not concern all nationalities, the impact of the Trump administration’s order could be enormous.
