Trump bans entry to nationals of three Caribbean countries

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump Tuesday named Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Haiti as countries where citizens from these Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries would either be “fully” restricted or have “limited” entry into the United States.

The measure goes into  effect from January 1, 2026.

Trump said that during his first administration he had restricted the entry of certain foreign nationals into the North American country to prevent national security and public safety threats from reaching our borders.

He said that the Supreme Court upheld these restrictions and as a result he reinstated these successful policies in his executive order of January 2025.

“It is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from foreign nationals who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security and public safety, incite hate crimes, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.”

He said in an earlier proclamation he had restricted the entry of foreign nationals into the United States from countries with deficient screening and vetting information to protect the national security and public safety of the United States and its people.

“The proclamation also directed the United States Government to immediately engage countries identified in the proclamation on measures that must be taken to comply with the screening, vetting, immigration, and security requirements of the United States. ”

He said that despite those engagements, most of the countries identified in the earlier proclamation as well as others, continue to exhibit woeful inadequacies in screening, vetting, and provision of information.

He said that some of these countries have offered Citizenship by Investment (CBI) without residency, which poses challenges for screening and vetting purposes.

Under the CBI programme, several Caribbean countries including Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica offer citizenship  to  foreign investors in return for  making a substantial investment in the socio-economic development of these countries.

Trump said both Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica have “historically had CBI without residency”  and that the entry into the United States of nationals of these two countries as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, is hereby suspended.

He said consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica “to the extent permitted by law.

Trump said in its latest executive order justifying the action taken against the Caribbean countries that “as an example, a foreign national from a country that is subject to travel restrictions could purchase CBI from a second country that is not subject to travel restrictions, obtain a passport in the citizenship of that second country, and subsequently apply for a United States visa for travel to the United States, thus evading the travel restrictions on his or her first country.

“ Additionally, United States law enforcement and the Department of State have found that, historically, CBI programmes have been susceptible to several risks. These risks include allowing an individual to conceal his or her identity and assets to circumvent travel restrictions or financial or banking restrictions,”  he said. (CMC)

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