Key Takeaways
- The Trump administration is considering expanding its travel ban to around 30 countries, up from the current 19, in response to the recent shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C.
- The plans are preliminary and the number of countries to be added to the list may change.
- The administration has cited the attack, allegedly carried out by an Afghan man who entered the U.S. in 2021 and was granted asylum in 2025, as a reason to further expand its immigration crackdown.
- The expansion would significantly broaden the scope of a proclamation issued by President Trump that partially or fully barred legal immigration and travel from 19 countries, most of them in Asia and Africa.
- The Department of Homeland Security has announced that it will soon reveal the new additions to the list of countries affected by the travel ban.
Introduction to the Travel Ban Expansion
The Trump administration is considering a significant expansion of its travel ban, which currently restricts or bars the entry of nationals from 19 countries. The potential expansion, which could add around 11 more countries to the list, comes in the wake of the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C. last week. According to multiple U.S. officials, the plans are still preliminary, and the number of countries to be added to the list may change. The officials, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, stated that the administration is reviewing the current list and considering adding more countries to the travel ban.
Homeland Security Secretary’s Statement
After a meeting with President Trump on Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took to social media platform X to express her views on the matter. She urged the President to impose "a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies." In her post, Noem emphasized the need to protect American citizens and the nation’s values, stating that "our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom—not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS." Noem’s statement reflects the administration’s tough stance on immigration and its commitment to enforcing stricter border controls.
The Current Travel Ban
The Trump administration’s current travel ban, which was issued over the summer, partially or fully bars legal immigration and travel from 19 countries, most of them in Asia and Africa. The ban imposes a near-total restriction on the entry of people from countries such as Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, and Iran, among others. It also partially suspends the entry of travelers and immigrants from countries like Burundi, Cuba, and Venezuela. At the time of its issuance, President Trump stated that the proclamation was necessary to mitigate concerns about terrorist activity in some of the nations on the list, as well as the inability to properly vet some of the affected nationals and the refusal by certain countries to cooperate on deportation flights from the U.S.
Expansion of the Travel Ban
The plans being considered by the Trump administration would significantly broaden the scope of the current travel ban. The expansion would add around 11 more countries to the list, bringing the total number of affected countries to around 30. The administration has cited the recent attack in Washington, D.C. as a reason to further expand its immigration crackdown. The attack, allegedly carried out by an Afghan man who entered the U.S. in 2021 and was granted asylum in 2025, has raised concerns about the vetting process for immigrants and the potential security risks associated with allowing certain individuals to enter the country. In response to these concerns, the administration has halted all visa and immigration processing for Afghan nationals, paused asylum case decisions for all nationalities, and ordered a full-scale review of green card cases involving immigrants from the 19 countries currently subject to the travel ban.
Next Steps
The Department of Homeland Security has announced that it will soon reveal the new additions to the list of countries affected by the travel ban. The announcement is expected to provide further details on the expansion of the travel ban and the reasoning behind the administration’s decision. As the situation continues to unfold, it is likely that there will be significant debate and discussion about the implications of the travel ban expansion and its potential impact on immigration policy in the United States. The administration’s decision to expand the travel ban is likely to be met with criticism from immigration advocates and human rights groups, who argue that the ban is discriminatory and unfairly targets certain nationalities. However, the administration maintains that the ban is necessary to protect national security and ensure the safety of American citizens.
