The United States plans to widen its travel ban to include more than 30 countries, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday.
Speaking on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, Noem declined to give an exact figure but confirmed the list would expand beyond 30 nations. President Donald Trump is “continuing to evaluate countries,” she said.
Trump issued a proclamation in June blocking citizens of 12 countries from entering the U.S. and limiting entry from seven more, citing the need to guard against terrorism and other security risks. The restrictions apply to both immigrants and temporary visitors such as tourists, students, and business travelers.
Noem did not reveal which countries may be added, but stressed that nations unable to provide reliable information for vetting should not expect their citizens to enter the U.S.
Earlier reporting from Reuters indicated the administration had considered adding 36 additional countries, according to an internal State Department memo.
The potential expansion follows the recent killing of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., an incident authorities say was carried out by an Afghan national who arrived in 2021 through a resettlement program Trump officials have criticized as poorly vetted.
In response, Trump pledged to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries,” though he did not specify which nations he meant.
The administration has also launched a sweeping review of asylum approvals issued under President Joe Biden and green cards granted to citizens of 19 countries. Since returning to office in January, Trump has intensified immigration enforcement, deploying federal agents to major cities and limiting asylum processing at the southern border — but until now had placed less emphasis on reshaping legal immigration channels.
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