The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the possibility of significantly widening US travel ban to include citizens from an additional 36 countries, according to a report by Reuters.
This US travel ban expansion follows a recent presidential proclamation that barred entry to nationals from 12 countries, citing concerns over national security and the threat of foreign terrorism.
The proposed expansion forms part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown during his second term in office. Other recent measures include the deportation of over 100 Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador over alleged gang affiliations, stricter rules for foreign students, and efforts to remove individuals already residing in the United States.
An internal diplomatic cable, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlined the administration’s rationale. It identified 36 countries whose citizens could face full or partial entry bans unless those nations meet certain U.S. security and documentation standards within 60 days.
The State Department raised multiple concerns in the cable, including some governments’ failure to issue secure identification, non-cooperation in accepting deported nationals, and the presence of overstayed visa holders. Additional security threats involved suspected terrorist activity and anti-U.S. actions by individuals from some of the listed countries.
The 36 countries at risk of new restrictions include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Previously, citizens from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen were already subject to full travel bans.
In addition, partial restrictions were already in place for nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The administration has given the 36 newly flagged countries a 60-day window to address U.S. concerns, after which travel restrictions could be formally implemented.
