News Report:
The United States is preparing to broaden its travel ban to include more than 30 countries, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed in an interview on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle on Thursday. The move marks a significant expansion of President Donald Trump’s immigration and national security measures.
While Noem declined to specify the exact number of countries that would be added to the list, she said the administration is “continuing to evaluate” nations that pose perceived security risks.
Her comments follow a June proclamation signed by President Trump that banned entry for citizens of 12 countries and placed restrictions on travellers from seven others, citing the need to guard against “foreign terrorists” and other threats. The bans apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, including tourists, students and business visitors.
Noem suggested that additional restrictions will fall on countries lacking stable governance and reliable identity-verification systems.
“If they don’t have a stable government… why should we allow people from that country to come here to the United States?” she said.
Earlier reporting by Reuters indicated that the administration had considered prohibiting entry to citizens of 36 additional countries, according to an internal State Department cable.
The tightened travel rules come in the wake of heightened political pressure following the recent shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., allegedly carried out by an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 under a resettlement programme. The incident has fuelled criticism from Trump administration officials who argue that previous vetting procedures were inadequate.
In response, President Trump vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries,” though he did not specify which nations he was referring to. The administration has also launched a sweeping review of asylum cases approved under former President Joe Biden, as well as Green Cards issued to citizens of 19 countries.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has intensified immigration enforcement, deploying federal agents to major cities and restricting asylum access at the U.S.–Mexico border.
The expansion of the travel ban marks a significant shift toward reshaping legal immigration, an area previously overshadowed by high-profile deportation initiatives.
