In the aftermath of a shocking attack in Washington, D.C., the Trump administration is moving toward a dramatic expansion of its travel ban, potentially barring foreign nationals from more than two dozen countries from entering the United States. According to multiple reports, including those from CBS News, The Hill, and The New York Post, the administration is considering increasing the number of countries on its restricted list from 19 to as many as 30, with an announcement expected soon.
The push for a broader ban follows the Thanksgiving Eve shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House on November 27, 2025. The alleged shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, entered the U.S. legally in September 2021 under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome program. He was granted asylum in April 2025, making him eligible for a green card after one year, according to The New York Post. Tragically, 20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died from her wounds on November 28, while 24-year-old Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe remained in serious condition as of early December, as reported by West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey.
In response to the incident, the Trump administration swiftly implemented a series of immigration crackdowns. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) halted all visa and immigration processing for Afghan nationals and paused asylum case decisions for all nationalities. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also indefinitely suspended naturalization ceremonies for individuals from some of the 19 countries already on the travel ban list, including Venezuela, Iran, and Afghanistan. Some ceremonies scheduled for early December were canceled in the wake of the attack, according to ABC News.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has been at the forefront of the push for an expanded ban. After meeting with President Trump on December 1, Noem took to the social platform X to advocate for sweeping restrictions. "I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies," she wrote. In a follow-up, she added, "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. WE DON’T WANT THEM. NOT ONE."
Noem’s rhetoric, while stirring for some, has sparked heated debates about the direction and tone of U.S. immigration policy. The administration’s moves are seen by supporters as necessary steps to protect national security and ensure that only the "best of the best" are granted the privilege of U.S. citizenship. As a DHS spokesperson told The New York Post, "Citizenship is a privilege, not a right. We will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake." The administration has also ordered a full-scale review of green card cases involving immigrants from the 19 countries currently under restriction, a move confirmed by USCIS Director Joseph Edlow on November 28, 2025.
The original travel ban, announced over the summer of 2025, fully restricted entry from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. It also imposed partial bans on seven others: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Most of these nations are in Asia and Africa, and the administration has cited concerns about terrorist activity, difficulties in vetting, and lack of cooperation on deportation flights as justifications for the restrictions.
Now, with the list poised to grow to around 30 countries, the scope of the ban is set to widen considerably. While the exact countries to be added have not been publicly disclosed, Secretary Noem’s comments suggest a broad net. During her meeting with President Trump, she reportedly recommended including "every damn country that’s been flooding our nation," and indicated that visa fraud investigations in Minnesota revealed "50% of them are fraudulent." She pledged, "We’re going to remove them and get our money back," claiming that fraudulent visa holders had accessed "hundreds of billions of dollars" in taxpayer-funded benefits.
As part of the Somali-specific crackdown, the administration is launching intensified immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, cities with substantial Somali immigrant populations, according to The New York Times. The administration had already terminated temporary protected status for Somali migrants prior to December 2025, stripping them of deportation protection and work permits.
The administration’s actions have not gone unnoticed by critics, who argue that such sweeping measures risk punishing entire populations for the actions of a few individuals. Civil rights groups and immigration advocates warn that these policies could fuel xenophobia, disrupt families, and undermine America’s long-standing tradition of offering refuge to those fleeing violence and persecution. Yet, for supporters, the events of late November—especially the attack near the White House—underscore the urgency of tighter controls and more rigorous vetting.
The debate over the travel ban is also playing out against the backdrop of the 2024 presidential election and ongoing partisan battles over immigration. The White House, when asked for comment, deferred to the Department of Homeland Security, which said the full list of countries impacted by Noem’s recommendation would be revealed soon. As of early December, DHS maintained that the new additions to the travel ban would be announced "soon," according to CBS News.
For now, the fate of thousands of would-be immigrants and green card holders from the affected countries hangs in the balance. The administration’s review of existing immigration benefits granted to nationals of "countries of concern"—a process that could impact more than 720,000 green card holders, according to The New York Post—has introduced a new level of uncertainty for many families and communities across the U.S.
While the administration insists that its actions are motivated by national security and fiscal responsibility, the sweeping language used by top officials has drawn criticism for its tone and breadth. Still, the Trump administration appears determined to press forward, with Secretary Noem and President Trump signaling that further restrictions could be on the horizon.
As the nation awaits the official announcement of the expanded travel ban list, the debate over who gets to call America home—and under what conditions—continues to ignite passions on all sides, shaping the country’s immigration policy in ways that will likely reverberate for years to come.
