President Donald Trump is reportedly making arrangements to broaden the scope of a travel restriction on individuals entering the United States to encompass more than 30 nations. This development follows the White House’s suspension of all immigration applications from 19 countries and the cancellation of citizenship ceremonies nationwide, citing concerns for national security.
Initially, Trump imposed a ban on 19 countries during the summer, predominantly from African or Muslim-majority nations such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Libya. However, he is now poised to include an additional 11 countries in what is being described as one of the most extensive travel bans in history. As of June 9, nationals from Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen will be prohibited from entering the US under the new regulations.
Furthermore, the proclamation has placed partial restrictions on foreign nationals from seven more countries – Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela – from entering the United States. These bans are part of a series of anti-immigration measures introduced by Trump, which also include preventing individuals from crossing the southern border to seek asylum and instructing heavily armed ICE immigration officers to conduct raids across the nation.
Although Trump has not made an official statement, Secretary of State Kristi Noem hinted at the proposed expansion of the “full travel ban” through a social media post, suggesting an increase in the number of countries on the restricted list following a meeting with the President. Noem advocated for the inclusion of all countries that she believes have been negatively impacting the US with undesirable elements.
In previous instances, Trump criticized former President Joe Biden for permitting unvetted migrants to enter the country. Throughout his first term, Trump expressed his intentions to prevent citizens from countries where Islam is the predominant religion from entering the US, leading to the implementation of a travel ban affecting individuals from seven Muslim-majority nations.