Trump's 'third world' travel ban could become permanent if firebrand Republican lawmaker gets her way

FIRST ON FOX: One House Republican is moving forward with efforts to codify President Donald Trump's sweeping travel ban on "third-world" countries.

Mace's bill, titled the Third World Immigration Moratorium Act, would also block entry for individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents.

The South Carolina lawmaker argued her legislation, which mirrors the list of countries facing full or partial bans under the Trump administration, is necessary because many immigrants from the affected countries have failed to assimilate into American life.

"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 on her upcoming legislation. "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."

Countries that would face 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.

The proposal comes after the Trump administration resurrected a travel ban on 12 countries in June 2025 after an Egyptian national was charged with carrying out a deadly firebombing attack in Boulder, Colo., on demonstrators calling for the release of hostages in Gaza.

The president argued the move was necessary to protect national security and guard against visa overstays after both perpetrators were in the country illegally after overstaying their visas. 

Many of the countries on the travel ban list are among the poorest in the world and have struggled with instability and terrorism.

Iran and Cuba - both longtime U.S. adversaries - are also among the countries targeted by the proposal. 

Mace's legislation would exempt several categories of travelers, including lawful permanent residents, dual nationals using passports from countries not subject to the restrictions, diplomats, NATO personnel, athletes participating in major international competitions, special immigrant visa recipients who assisted U.S. forces, and some people fleeing ethnic or religious persecution in Iran.

But the legislation is likely to face an uphill battle in the House amid expected opposition from Democrats and some Republicans who support legal immigration from several of the countries on her list.

Earlier this year, a handful of Republicans joined Democrats in voting to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitians despite the Trump administration's opposition. Some Republicans have also defended legal immigration for people from Cuba, Venezuela and other countries subject to the travel ban and often used as proxies of other foreign powers.

Wednesday's legislation comes as Mace weighs her political future.

The Republican firebrand is serving the final months of her House term after losing her bid for South Carolina governor earlier this year.