US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday that the Trump administration plans to expand the number of countries covered by its travel ban to more than 30.
Speaking on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, Noem was asked whether the administration would increase the list to 32.
“I won't be specific on the number, but it's over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries,” she said.
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation in June banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricting entry from seven others, citing the need to protect against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats. The bans apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, including tourists, students, and business travelers.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration paused all immigration applications, including green cards and US citizenship processing, for immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing national security and public safety concerns. The pause applies to countries already subjected to the partial travel bans imposed in June.
Noem did not specify which countries would be added. “If they don't have a stable government there, if they don't have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here to the United States?” she said.
Reuters previously reported that the administration was considering banning citizens of 36 additional countries, according to an internal State Department cable.
The expansion would mark an extension of migration policies taken since the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, last week. Investigators say the attack was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 through a resettlement program that officials argue lacked sufficient vetting.