In a move that’s already sparking heated debate across the political spectrum, the United States is preparing to dramatically expand its controversial travel ban, targeting more than 30 countries amid renewed concerns over national security and immigration controls. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, following a meeting with President Donald Trump earlier this week, confirmed that the administration is finalizing plans to widen the list of nations facing entry restrictions—an escalation that could have sweeping implications for travelers, students, businesses, and families around the world.
The push for a broader ban comes on the heels of a violent incident in Washington, D.C., where, on November 26, 2025, two National Guard members were shot—one fatally—by an Afghan national who had entered the United States through a resettlement pathway established in 2021. According to multiple reports, including Reuters and the Hindustan Times, this event was a major catalyst for the administration’s decision to accelerate its review of travel and immigration policy.
Secretary Noem made her position clear in a series of interviews and social media posts after her December 2 meeting with President Trump. In a particularly pointed statement, she wrote, “I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies. 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.” Her remarks, widely circulated by outlets like The Daily Beast, underscore the administration’s hardening stance and have drawn both support and sharp criticism.
Pressed by Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on the precise scope of the expansion, Noem declined to specify an exact figure but confirmed, “I won’t be specific on the number, but it’s over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries.” The Department of Homeland Security has not released an official list of the additional countries under consideration, but the move marks a significant escalation from the 19 countries already subject to restrictions earlier this year.
Back in June 2025, President Trump signed a proclamation that barred nationals from 12 countries outright and imposed varying levels of restrictions on citizens from seven more—many of them in the Middle East and Africa. The administration justified these bans as essential for protecting the US against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats. The latest expansion, as reported by Reuters and ABC News, is being driven by concerns over some foreign governments’ inability to verify the identities of individuals seeking to enter the United States.
Noem elaborated on this rationale, stating, “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?” This sentiment has been echoed by President Trump himself, who declared a pause on migration from all “Third World countries” following the D.C. shooting, although he did not specify which countries he meant by that term.
The list of countries already facing heightened scrutiny includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Burundi, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen. An internal State Department cable, cited by Reuters, suggested officials have considered adding as many as 36 more countries to the list. The administration’s review, which began months ago, has been fast-tracked in the wake of recent events.
Beyond the new travel bans, the Trump administration has dramatically stepped up immigration enforcement since returning to office in January 2025. Federal agents have been deployed to major cities, deportation operations have increased, and controls at the US-Mexico border have tightened. While much public attention has focused on asylum and deportation crackdowns, the expansion of the travel ban signals a broader effort to reshape legal immigration pathways as well.
This effort has not been without controversy. Reports from ABC News indicate that, in early December, some naturalization ceremonies and interviews for nationals from Venezuela, Iran, and Afghanistan were abruptly canceled. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson explained, “The Trump Administration is making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best. Citizenship is a privilege, not a right. We will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake. The Trump Administration is reviewing all immigration benefits granted by the Biden administration to aliens from Countries of Concern.”
The administration’s supporters argue that these measures are necessary to protect Americans and ensure that immigration benefits are not abused. They point to the D.C. shooting as evidence of the risks posed by insufficient vetting and unstable foreign governments. “We have to put American safety first,” one official told Reuters, emphasizing that the inability to verify identities in certain countries leaves the US vulnerable.
Critics, however, warn that the expanded bans risk punishing millions of innocent people and damaging America’s standing as a beacon for immigrants and refugees. Immigration advocates and some business leaders argue that such sweeping restrictions could disrupt family reunification, international student flows, and global business ties. They also question the effectiveness of blanket bans, noting that most immigrants and visitors undergo rigorous screening before arriving in the United States.
Some legal experts have raised concerns about the vague criteria for inclusion on the ban list and the lack of transparency in the review process. Others worry about the precedent set by targeting entire nations based on their governments’ perceived instability or inability to share information. As one immigration attorney told ABC News, “This approach risks conflating national origin with individual risk, and that’s a slippery slope.”
Meanwhile, the administration remains undeterred. According to Secretary Noem, the president is “continuing to evaluate countries” and may add even more to the list in the coming weeks. The Department of Homeland Security has not provided a timeline for when the expanded bans will take effect or how long they might remain in place. For now, millions of travelers, students, and families in the affected countries face an uncertain future, caught in the crosshairs of a policy debate that shows no sign of cooling down.
As the US government prepares to implement one of its most sweeping immigration overhauls in years, the world is watching closely—wondering which countries will be added next, and what the long-term consequences of this unprecedented expansion will be.
