From 19 to more than 30: Why the US is moving to dramatically expand its travel ban

The US plans to expand its travel restrictions from 19 to over 30 countries, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The United States is preparing for a major escalation of its travel restrictions, with plans to widen its existing ban from 19 countries to well over 30, according to US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.(AP)

Speaking on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, Noem confirmed that the administration is in the final stages of evaluating which additional nations will face new entry restrictions.

Pressed on whether the list would grow to 32 countries, Noem declined to give an exact figure but said, “I won't be specific on the number, but it's over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries.”

The potential expansion builds on a proclamation signed earlier this year that barred nationals from 12 countries outright and imposed varying levels of restrictions on citizens from seven more. Those bans affected both long-term immigrants and short-term visitors, from tourists and students to business travellers, with the administration arguing that the measures were essential to guard against security threats and possible infiltration by “foreign terrorists.”

What’s driving this sudden push to widen the blacklist?

According to Noem, the administration’s primary concern is the inability of some governments to verify the identities of individuals attempting to enter the US, said a report by news agency Reuters. “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, underscoring the administration’s stance that national security outweighs diplomatic sensitivities.

Reports suggest the move has been in discussion for months. An internal State Department cable previously cited by Reuters indicated that officials had reviewed the possibility of adding 36 more countries to the list. But recent events have accelerated the timeline.

The turning point came after two National Guard members were fatally shot in Washington DC, an attack authorities say was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the US through a resettlement pathway established in 2021. Trump officials have since argued that the vetting process under that program was inadequate, a point the administration has used to justify sweeping restrictions.

In response to the incident, President Trump declared that migration from all “Third World countries” should be paused indefinitely. The 19 countries designated under the updated scrutiny list were: 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.

This shift doesn’t stand alone. Since returning to office in January, Trump has amplified his focus on immigration enforcement: increasing deportation operations, directing federal authorities to several major cities, and tightening controls at the US-Mexico border. While much attention has fallen on asylum and deportation crackdowns, expanding the travel ban marks one of the administration’s clearest moves yet to redefine legal immigration pathways as well.

With the list now set to expand far beyond the original 19 countries, the US appears poised for one of its most significant overhauls of entry policy in years, one that could impact global travel, student flows, refugee programs, and business mobility for millions.

(With inputs from Reuters)