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News Topical, Digital Desk : US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday that the US plans to expand the number of countries under its travel ban to more than 30. In an interview on Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle," Noem was asked whether President Donald Trump's administration would expand the number of countries on the travel ban list to 32.
"I won't be specific about the number, but it's more than 30, and the president is constantly evaluating countries," she said.
Trump imposed a ban on citizens of 12 countries in June.
Trump signed a proclamation in June banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricting people from seven others, saying it was necessary to protect against foreign terrorists and other security threats. The restrictions apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, such as tourists, students and business travelers. Noem did not specify which countries would be added to the list.
"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 investigate them, why should we allow people from that country to come here to the United States," Noem said.
Preparations to ban entry of citizens of 36 more countries into America
Reuters previously reported that the Trump administration was considering banning citizens of 36 more countries from entering the US, according to an internal State Department cable. Expanding the list would be another escalation of immigration measures taken by the administration following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, last week.
Investigators say the shooting was carried out by an Afghan national who came to the US in 2021 under a resettlement program that Trump administration officials argued lacked adequate vetting. Days after the shooting, Trump promised to permanently halt immigration from all third-world countries, though he did not name any countries or define "third-world countries."
Order to review green cards issued to citizens of 19 countries
Earlier, Department of Homeland Security officials said Trump had ordered a comprehensive review of asylum cases approved under the administration of his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, and green cards issued to citizens of 19 countries.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has increasingly prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and turning away asylum-seekers at the US-Mexico border. His administration has frequently emphasized deportations, but has so far placed less emphasis on efforts to reshape legal immigration.
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