Trump ‘bans’ green card holders from Ebola-hit nations; widens visa suspension

On Friday (US time), the Trump government said it was temporarily banning the entry of green card holders who had been to the three aforementioned African countries in the last 21 days. This constitutes a crucial expansion of the previous order that exempted America’s legal permanent residents, according to a Federal Register document signed by US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. Additionally, the US State Department confirmed that the country was expanding its visa pause triggered by the Ebola outbreak.

Authorities in Congo confirmed the Ebola outbreak on May 15, 2026, after cases were reported in Ituri and North Kivu provinces. Subsequently, the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) revealed that the Bundibugyo virus,  which currently has no cure, caused the outbreak. This year’s health scare is the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in DRC since the virus’s first identification in 1976.

US bans green card holders’ travel amid Ebola outbreak

As established in the official Federal Register document, the US Health and Human Services (HHS) department and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “have determined that permitting the Director of CDC or other Secretarial delegate the discretion to prohibit entry of certain lawful permanent residents is reasonably required in the interest of public health.”

Considering that many lawful permanent residents or green card holders in the US may share “stronger ties” to families and communities outside America than US citizens, the document stated it was “comparatively less burdensome to lawful permanent residents than to U.S. citizens or nationals.”

It further highlighted, “Containing quarantinable communicable diseases on U.S. soil is highly resource-intensive, requiring specialised and isolated facilities with limited capacity.”

Despite the introduction of the new restrictions, the CDC assured in a statement that green card holders haven’t been permanently blocked from returning to the US.

US expands visa pause for travellers in Ebola-hit countries

Having previously suspended visa issuances at embassies in the affected countries, the Trump administration has now also temporarily stopped issuing visas to anyone who has been to Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the past three weeks. The visa issuance snag imposed earlier this week impacted embassies in Juba, Kinshasa and Kampala.

According to Newsweek, the decision mirrors steps taken by the US during the COVID-19 pandemic at a time when there was no vaccine for the disease. The US State Department has since told the news outlet that the latest set of rules has also been implemented to prioritise the country’s and Americans’ safety.

“The Department of State is committed to ensuring that its visa process upholds the highest standards for US public health and safety,” states an official press release dated May 18, 2026.

Is there a risk of Ebola exposure to the US?

World Health Organisation (WHO) officials said Friday that the Ebola outbreak is “spreading rapidly.” Although the agency revised its risk assessment to “very high” at the national level, it held back from declaring it an outright pandemic by listing the risk assessment as “low” at the global level.

According to the WHO’s statements at this week’s press briefing, the outbreak has since resulted in 750 suspected cases and 177 deaths in the DRC. These numbers are only expected to rise.

Similarly, CDC affirmed, “The risk of spread to the United States is considered low at this time,” noting that as an additional precaution, the agency “is working to raise awareness of this outbreak among travellers, public health departments, public health and clinical laboratories, and healthcare workers in the United States.”

After the DRC’s authorities confirmed the outbreak on May 15, the CDC issued a Level 1 Travel Health Notice for people travelling to Uganda and a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for people going to the Congo.

However, a recent scare resulted in an Air France flight being denied entry to Detroit airport. Having departed from Paris, the plane was ultimately briefly diverted to Montreal, Canada, after a Congolese passenger boarded the flight “in error,” as per the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Following the removal of the person from the flight, the plane was allowed to land in Detroit.

Despite the repeated reassurances from officials in the Trump administration and other health experts, former CDC director Robert Redfield recently sounded the alarm over suspicions that Ebola could become the next pandemic. “I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic, probably going to leak into Tanzania, leak into southern Sudan, maybe leak into Rwanda,” he told NewsNation.

“This is an outbreak right now that is really a significant outbreak that’s of significant public health international concern, partially because what you said, it wasn’t recognised very quickly. I’m not sure why.”

Amid mounting global alarm, the US allocated Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) for enhanced screening of “all US-bound American citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who have been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan.” As of May 18, “no suspected, probable or confirmed” cases related to the outbreak had been reported in the US, according to the CDC.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. While the author has incorporated expert medical guidance while producing the story and ensured full authentic information is provided to the reader,  you should always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.