The Trump administration has barred most foreigners who recently visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries from entering the United States due to an ongoing Ebola outbreak.
The restrictions apply to green card holders and non-U.S. citizens who have been in areas with active transmission within the past 21 days.
U.S. officials directed flights carrying Americans returning from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan to four specific airports in Virginia, Georgia, Texas, and New York for screening.
The administration diverted exposed or infected Americans to Europe for quarantine and treatment instead of using domestic pathogen treatment centers.
A plan to send exposed Americans to a new quarantine facility in Kenya faced legal opposition.
A Kenyan court issued a temporary halt on the facility, which was scheduled to become operational on May 30, 2026. The State Department stated it was in contact with Kenyan authorities to resolve the issue.
Outbreak and U.S. Position
Congolese authorities reported around 1,000 suspected Ebola cases and 230 suspected deaths as of late May 2026. Officials believe actual numbers are higher.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus and is centered in Ituri Province, where political violence, displacement, and armed groups have disrupted health operations.
Health and State Department officials described the travel measures as a “longstanding public health tool” to reduce the risk of importation while containment efforts continue at the source.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a Cabinet meeting on May 28 that the United States “cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States.”
The administration’s actions followed the World Health Organization’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17. U.S. officials maintained that the decisions were based on health considerations, not politics.
WHO and International Criticism
The World Health Organization rejected the U.S. travel restrictions. In its May 17 statement, the WHO said such measures “are usually implemented out of fear and have no basis in science.”
The agency assessed the risk of international spread as low and warned that restrictions could harm local economies and response operations.
Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director General Jean Kaseya stated on May 29 that more than a dozen countries imposed travel restrictions. He described Western approaches as “not acceptable.”
Canada imposed 21-day quarantines for travelers from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. Mexico, the Bahamas, Jordan, Bahrain, Rwanda, and Uganda also enacted measures.
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The WHO and Africa CDC maintain that travel bans breed stigma, discourage disclosure of exposures, and complicate outbreak tracking. Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids of symptomatic individuals, unlike more contagious airborne diseases.
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Historical Reversal
During the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which caused more than 11,000 deaths, the Obama administration avoided broad travel bans. It required screening at designated airports instead.
Then-candidate Donald Trump criticized the approach and called for stopping flights from the region.
The current Trump administration withdrew the United States from the WHO last year. The country remains a signatory to the International Health Regulations, which call for the least restrictive measures possible during outbreaks. Countries frequently deviate from these rules in practice.
An analysis published in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal in 2022 found that early travel controls delayed but did not prevent the international spread of COVID-19.
Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said politicians implement bans to demonstrate action regardless of long-term effectiveness.
David Bell, a former WHO medical officer, described the measures as primarily political. He noted that the United States lacks the poverty and security conditions driving the Congo outbreak and faces minimal risk of sustained transmission.
The Trump administration’s approach has set up a direct conflict with the WHO’s emphasis on international solidarity and minimal border disruptions. As of May 31, 2026, the Ebola outbreak continued in eastern Congo with ongoing challenges in testing, contact tracing, and community cooperation.
