Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina is advancing legislation to make permanent a travel ban originally imposed by former President Donald Trump. The bill, named the Third World Immigration Moratorium Act, aims to bar entry to travelers from 39 countries spanning the Caribbean, Middle East, and Africa, as well as individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents.

Mace argues that the legislation is necessary because many immigrants from these countries have failed to assimilate into American society. "For too long, Washington has looked the other way while bad actors exploited every gap in our system and American families paid the price. Those days are over," Mace said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. She emphasized that "entry into the United States is a privilege, not a right," and added, "We make absolutely no apologies for defending it."

The proposal follows the Trump administration's resurrection of a travel ban on 12 countries in June 2025, after an Egyptian national was charged with a deadly firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado, targeting demonstrators advocating for the release of hostages in Gaza. The list was later expanded by more than double after an Afghan national fatally shot 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, a member of the West Virginia National Guard, and severely injured others.

Travelers from Latin America and the Caribbean were seen arriving at Miami International Airport as the new travel ban took effect. Mace's bill seeks to codify these sweeping restrictions into permanent law.

Sources