Rep Nancy Mace immigration bill locks in Trump travel ban
Rep. Nancy Mace is advancing the Third World Immigration Moratorium Act to write President Trump’s “third world” travel ban into permanent U.S. law. The Rep Nancy Mace immigration bill would bar entry from 39 countries plus Palestinian Authority document holders, matching the administration’s full or partial ban list.
According to Fox News, the South Carolina Republican moved Wednesday to codify Trump’s sweeping restrictions so they cannot be undone by a future administration alone. Local South Carolina outlets report the same push as a bid to “slam the door” on immigrants from designated third-world countries.
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Key Takeaways
- Mace’s Third World Immigration Moratorium Act would bar people from 39 listed countries and Palestinian Authority travel documents.
- The measure mirrors Trump’s existing full or partial travel ban list and aims to make those limits permanent statute.
- Reported exceptions include green-card holders, some dual nationals, diplomats, NATO personnel, major-event athletes, certain wartime allies, and some Iranians fleeing persecution.
- Fox News notes the DHS secretary could still grant narrow “critical interest” waivers, while House passage looks politically difficult.
What is Rep Nancy Mace’s immigration bill trying to do?
Mace’s proposal is titled the Third World Immigration Moratorium Act. Fox News Digital reported she would introduce legislation Wednesday to stop people from 39 countries across the Caribbean, Middle East, and Africa from entering the United States.
The bill would also block entry for people traveling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents. ABC Columbia and WCIV say she framed the policy as aligned with President Trump’s proclamation and foreign-policy orders.
Mace argued the measure is needed because, in her view, many immigrants from the affected countries have failed to assimilate into American life. WCIV and ABC Columbia add that she pointed to an apparent lack of cooperation with U.S. immigration and deportation services.
“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. “If you import the third world, you will become the third world.”
“This bill makes crystal clear: entry into the United States is a privilege, not a right,” she continued. “We make absolutely no apologies for defending it.”
She also said, according to the South Carolina reports: “We are not a dumping ground for the third world’s problems. This bill is a straightforward solution to keep dangerous aliens out and send a message to every country on this list: the free ride is over.”
Which countries would a Rep Nancy Mace immigration ban hit?
Fox News and the South Carolina reports list the same country roster. Those facing travel restrictions are Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, 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.
Fox News says the list mirrors nations already facing full or partial bans under the Trump administration. Many are among the world’s poorest countries and have struggled with instability and terrorism, while Iran and Cuba—longtime U.S. adversaries—are also included.
That backdrop matters because Trump’s executive approach grew after high-profile security cases. Fox News reports the administration resurrected a travel ban on 12 countries in June 2025 after an Egyptian national was charged in a deadly Boulder, Colorado, firebombing. The list later more than doubled after an Afghan national fatally shot West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and severely injured U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 25, in Washington, D.C., in November. Trump argued both suspects had overstayed visas.
Who would be exempt if the bill becomes law?
Coverage of the Rep Nancy Mace immigration plan stresses that the ban is broad but not absolute. WCIV and ABC Columbia report exceptions for lawful permanent residents; dual nationals from non-designated countries; diplomatic and NATO treaty personnel; athletes competing in the World Cup, Olympics, or other major international sporting events; special immigrant visa holders, including those who served alongside U.S. forces; and individuals fleeing documented ethnic and religious persecution in Iran.
Fox News separately reports that under Mace’s bill, the Department of Homeland Security secretary could grant case-by-case waivers when admitting someone is judged to be in the nation’s “critical interest.”
Can Congress actually lock in Trump’s travel ban?
Codifying the ban in statute is the political point. An executive proclamation can be revised by a later president; an Act of Congress is far harder to unwind. That is why Fox News framed Mace’s move as an effort to make Trump’s “third world” travel ban permanent if she gets her way.
Still, Fox News cautions the legislation is likely to face an uphill battle in the House. Democrats are expected to oppose it, and some Republicans support legal immigration from several listed countries. Earlier this year, Fox notes, a handful of Republicans joined Democrats to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitians despite White House opposition. Some Republicans have also defended legal pathways for people from Cuba, Venezuela, and other banned countries often described as proxies of foreign powers.
Mace’s own calendar adds another layer. Fox News says she previously sought to bar naturalized citizens from serving in most of the federal government, including Congress and the federal bench. She is serving the final months of her House term after losing her race for South Carolina governor earlier this year, and she has floated a primary bid to succeed the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died unexpectedly late Saturday evening.
Bottom line: the Rep Nancy Mace immigration fight is not only about today’s airport rules. It is a bid to turn Trump’s country list—and related document bans—into lasting law, with narrow exemptions and a tough road through the House.