US Considering Expanding Travel Ban To Around 30 Countries
|Since returning to office in January, Trump has made tightening immigration rules a central focus
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has announced that the Trump administration plans to expand its travel ban to cover citizens from more than 30 countries. The move would apply to both immigrant and non-immigrant travelers, including tourists, students, and business visitors. Officials say the expansion marks a deeper phase of the administration’s migration crackdown following the recent shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., which investigators say was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 through a resettlement program that Trump officials argue lacked proper vetting.
In June, Trump signed a proclamation barring citizens of 12 countries from entering the US and imposing restrictions on travelers from seven others, citing threats from “foreign terrorists” and other security concerns. Earlier this week, Noem suggested on social media that additional nations could soon be added to the list. Homeland Security has not yet disclosed when the expanded ban will take effect or which countries might be included.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has made tightening immigration rules a central focus, deploying federal agents to key cities and calling for stricter screening measures. Critics argue the administration is unfairly targeting people who have already undergone extensive vetting, saying the expanded rules punish entire groups rather than addressing individual risks.