The U.S. intends to extend its travel ban to over 30 countries, said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during an interview on Fox News. She was asked to confirm whether the administration of President Donald Trump would be increasing the number of countries on the travel ban list to 32.
“I won’t be specific on the number, but it’s over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries,” Noem said. Noem did not specify which countries would be added to the list.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on X wrote, “I just met with the President. I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.
Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom—not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS. WE DON’T WANT THEM. NOT ONE.”
Ban on Immigration
In June, Trump released a proclamation prohibiting citizens from 12 countries from entering the U.S. and imposing restrictions on those from seven additional countries. This action was justified as necessary for protection against “foreign terrorists” and security threats, affecting both immigrants and non-immigrants, including tourists, students, and business travelers.
Earlier, Reuters reported that the Trump administration is contemplating banning citizens from 36 additional countries from entering the U.S., as indicated by an internal State Department cable. This potential expansion of the list represents a further escalation of the administration’s migration measures following the recent shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
Investigators report that the shooting was perpetrated by an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 via a resettlement program criticized by Trump administration officials for inadequate vetting. Following the incident, Trump promised to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries,” without specifying which countries he referred to or providing a definition of “third-world countries.”
Before that, officials from the Department of Homeland Security indicated that Trump had mandated a comprehensive examination of asylum cases sanctioned under the previous administration of President Joe Biden and Green Cards granted to individuals from 19 nations.
19 Countries on the Ban List
The Trump administration has temporarily halted all immigration applications from 19 countries previously under travel restrictions, as reported by The New York Times. This pause affects green card cases, citizenship applications, interviews, and ceremonies for individuals from these nations.
19 countries facing travel restrictions and a pause in all immigration applications include: Turkmenistan, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Libya, Chad, Sudan, Laos, Yemen, Togo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela.
The freeze affects several important immigration steps. This includes a halt on green card interviews, naturalisation interviews, oath ceremonies for citizenship, and other immigration benefits. Several who had waited months or even years for their appointments showed up this week only to be told their interviews were cancelled.
Officials say they want to make sure that only the “most trustworthy” people receive US citizenship or permanent residency. A spokesperson for US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Matthew Tragesser, told The New York Times, “The Trump administration is making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best. Citizenship is a privilege, not a right.”
More than 1.5 million people with asylum applications pending could be hit by these changes. Over 50,000 people who already received asylum during the Biden administration may also see their cases re-examined.
