United States widens travel restrictions to include more than 30 nations

The United States is planning to expand its travel ban to cover more than 30 countries, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday. In an interview on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, Noem was asked whether the Trump administration would increase the number of countries on the travel ban list to 32.

She replied, “I won’t be specific on the number, but it’s over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries.”

In June, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the US and imposing restrictions on travelers from seven others, citing concerns over “foreign terrorists” and other security threats. The bans apply to immigrants, tourists, students, and business travelers alike.

Noem did not disclose which countries might be added to the expanded list, but stressed that travel restrictions would target nations without stable governments or adequate systems to vet their citizens.

“If they don’t have a stable government there, if they don’t have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here?” she said.

Earlier reports from Reuters indicated that the administration was considering banning citizens of up to 36 additional countries, according to an internal State Department cable.

The potential expansion follows heightened migration restrictions after the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, last week.

Investigators identified the shooter as an Afghan national who had entered the US in 2021 under a resettlement program. Trump officials have argued that the program lacked sufficient vetting.

In the aftermath, Trump pledged to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World countries,” though he did not specify which nations he meant.

Separately, Homeland Security officials said the president had ordered a comprehensive review of asylum cases approved under former President Joe Biden’s administration, as well as Green Cards issued to citizens of 19 countries.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has aggressively prioritised immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and turning away asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border.

His administration has frequently highlighted the deportation push, but until now it has put less emphasis on efforts to reshape legal immigration.