The United States is preparing to significantly widen its travel ban, with the list of restricted countries expected to grow to more than 30, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday.
Speaking during an appearance on Fox News’ programme The Ingraham Angle, Noem declined to confirm reports that the administration of President Donald Trump planned to expand the list to precisely 32 countries. However, she acknowledged that the number would exceed 30 and that the president was actively reviewing additional nations for potential inclusion.
Noem’s comments come months after Trump signed a proclamation in June imposing a sweeping entry ban on citizens of 12 countries and placing additional restrictions on travellers from seven others. That order applied to both immigrant and non-immigrant categories, including tourists, students and business visitors, and was justified by the administration as a necessary safeguard against terrorism and other security threats.
The Homeland Security secretary did not disclose which new countries were being considered for the expanded ban. She argued that nations lacking functioning governments or effective identity verification systems could be barred from sending travellers to the United States.
“If a country cannot tell us who its citizens are or help us vet people who want to enter the United States, then why should we accept travellers from there?” Noem said.
Earlier reporting by Reuters, citing an internal State Department cable, indicated that as many as 36 additional countries were under review for possible inclusion on the restricted list. An expansion of that magnitude would mark a dramatic escalation in the Trump administration’s already stringent migration policies.
The administration has intensified immigration enforcement efforts following the fatal shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, last week. Authorities say the attack was carried out by an Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021 through a resettlement initiative that Trump officials claim lacked adequate vetting procedures.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Trump pledged to “permanently pause” migration from what he termed “Third World Countries,” though he did not specify which nations he meant or define the criteria for such a designation.
This pledge followed an order to re-evaluate thousands of asylum cases approved under former President Joe Biden, as well as a review of Green Cards issued to citizens of 19 countries. Since returning to office in January, Trump has placed immigration enforcement at the centre of his agenda, deploying federal agents to major cities and sharply restricting asylum access at the US-Mexico border.
While the administration has frequently highlighted its deportation initiatives, the possible expansion of the travel ban signals a deeper shift toward reshaping legal immigration pathways — an area that had so far received comparatively less emphasis.
Leave a comment