U.S. Extends Ebola-Related Entry Ban to Green Card Holders

On May 22, 2026 the CDC invoked Title 42 to bar lawful permanent residents who had been in Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the past 21 days from entering the United States. Restriction is set for 30 days and may be extended.

The Guardian

The ban follows a surge of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in eastern DRC, first confirmed on May 15, 2026, with cases also reported in Uganda. WHO raised the risk to “very high” and declared an international emergency.

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CDC, HHS issued a rule allowing CDC to suspend entry. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the risk “very high.” Africa CDC head Jean Kaseya warned of spread. MSF South Asia director Parthesarathy Rajendran noted the lack of a Bundibugyo vaccine.

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WHO reports 82 confirmed Ebola cases, seven deaths and 750 suspected cases in DRC, with 177 suspected deaths. Africa CDC lists ten at-risk countries, such as Angola and Kenya. Eighteen people are quarantined at the University of Nebraska; no U.S. cases have been linked.

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Historically, green card holders were exempt from U.S. travel bans, even during the COVID-era Title 42 order. Extending the ban seeks to block a lethal virus with no approved vaccine or monoclonal-antibody therapy, protecting a public-health system already strained by limited quarantine capacity.

Reuters

The CDC said the measure “provides a balance between protecting public health and managing emergency response resources.” HHS called the rule temporary. WHO chief announced a “very high” national risk. State Department confirmed the visa-pause expansion.

WION

U.S. officials note no domestic Ebola cases and a low immediate public-health risk, while WHO calls the situation a “very high” national threat. The ban’s exact duration beyond initial 30 days and enforcement data remain undisclosed.

U.S. expands Ebola-related entry restrictions to include green card holders

• “Applying this authority to lawful permanent residents for a limited period of time provides a balance between protecting public health and managing emergency response resources.” — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Statement

WION

• “We are now revising our risk assessment to very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at global level.” — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Chief

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• “Our No 1 objective on Ebola … has to be we can’t have it affect the United States. We can’t have Ebola cases coming here.” — Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State

The Guardian

• “We have 10 countries at risk.” — Jean Kaseya, Head, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

The Guardian

The CDC will expand enhanced Ebola screening to airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and will assess epidemiological data to decide on extending the entry restriction. WHO and partners continue emergency response, diagnostic deployment and work on Bundibugyo-specific vaccine candidates.

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