HHS extends Ebola entry suspension to green card holders
U.S. admission officials must apply the 21-day Ebola travel restriction to lawful permanent residents
Change
HHS revised 42 CFR Part 71.40 to allow CDC entry-suspension authority to apply to U.S. lawful permanent residents during dangerous disease outbreaks.
Why it matters
The revised rule extends CDC's temporary entry-suspension authority to green card holders when needed for public-health response. During the current Ebola outbreak, lawful permanent residents who were in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the prior 21 days are prevented from entering the United States.
Implications
- — U.S. port-of-entry admission officials must screen lawful permanent residents for travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the prior 21 days and apply the CDC entry restriction during the current Ebola order.
- — Airline boarding and document-check teams must identify lawful permanent residents with recent travel to the listed countries before U.S.-bound travel and route affected cases according to CDC and entry-screening instructions.
Who is affected
- — U.S. port-of-entry admission officials
- — Airline boarding and document-check teams handling U.S.-bound passengers
- — Lawful permanent residents with recent travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan
What to watch
- — 22 May 2026 — CDC statement issued on the revised Title 42 order.
- — 21-day travel history — entry restriction applies to lawful permanent residents who were in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within this window.
- — Current Ebola outbreak period — CDC authority is framed as temporary and discretionary, not a permanent bar on return.