WESTERN HEMISPHERE — The State Department announced visa restrictions targeting individuals from Western Hemisphere countries who support U.S. adversaries, stripping the visas of 26 people. The department said it is restricting visas for individuals from countries in the hemisphere who support U.S. adversaries in undermining America's interests in the region.

The department said the expanded restrictions would penalize those who "knowingly direct, authorise, fund, or provide significant support to" U.S. adversaries in the Western Hemisphere. The statement added that "Activities include but are not limited to: enabling adversarial powers to acquire or control key assets and strategic resources in our hemisphere; destabilising regional security efforts; undermining American economic interests; and conducting influence operations designed to undermine the sovereignty and stability of nations in our region." The statement cited authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows restricting entry of foreign nationals when the secretary of state has reason to believe they pose consequences that could be seriously adverse to U.S. foreign policy.

The action follows a series of visa measures taken since President Donald Trump began his second term. Trump has sought to expand U.S. influence across the Western Hemisphere as part of a platform he calls the "Donroe Doctrine", a riff on the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, and has referred to the region as the United States's "neighbourhood". He has threatened economic penalties and military action to stop drug trafficking across the Americas, and has sought to check China's growing influence in the Western Hemisphere as Latin American countries tightened their bonds with China.

The Trump administration has labelled multiple drug cartels as "foreign terrorist organisations" and has argued that cartels are seeking to destabilize the United States through the drug trade. Earlier this year, the administration enacted immigrant visa bans on dozens of countries, citing national security and alleged stresses on social services.

In July, Brazilian officials involved in the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro saw their U.S. visas withdrawn. In September, the administration stripped Colombian President Gustavo Petro of his visa after he made an appearance at the UN General Assembly that was critical of U.S. policy. The State Department denounced Petro for "reckless and incendiary actions." Petro had been invited to visit the White House in February as part of a detente with Trump.

Last year, the administration sought to revoke visas for pro-Palestine protesters, claiming their presence could have foreign policy consequences for the United States. The administration also terminated immigration visas for at least seven individuals with familial ties to the Iranian government or connected to the 1979 Iranian revolution. The administration abandoned deportation efforts against some targeted individuals, while at least two, Mahmoud Khalil and Badar Khan Suri, continue to face expulsion.