Speaking on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, Noem declined to confirm reports that the list may grow to 32 countries but said the figure would exceed 30. “I won’t be specific on the number, but it’s over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries,” she said.
US President Donald Trump in June signed a proclamation blocking entry for citizens of 12 countries and imposing restrictions on travellers from seven others, citing threats posed by “foreign terrorists” and other security risks. The ban applies to both immigrants and non-immigrants, including tourists, students and business visitors.
Unexplained
Noem did not reveal which nations may be added but said the administration’s criteria would remain stringent. “If they don’t have a stable government … if they can’t tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here?” she said.
Reuters previously reported that the administration had been considering barring citizens of 36 additional countries, according to an internal State Department cable.
Crackdown
An expansion of the list would further escalate the administration’s migration crackdown, intensified after the shooting deaths of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., last week. Investigators have said the suspect was an Afghan national who arrived in 2021 through a resettlement programme that Trump officials argue lacked adequate vetting.
‘Migration pause’
In the days following the attack, Trump vowed to “permanently pause” migration from what he described as “Third World Countries,” though he did not specify which nations he meant.
DHS officials have also said Trump ordered a broad review of asylum cases approved during the administration of his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, as well as green cards issued to citizens of 19 countries.
Since taking office in January, Trump has prioritised aggressive immigration enforcement, deploying federal agents to major cities and turning away asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border. While the administration has frequently promoted its deportation efforts, it had previously placed less emphasis on overhauling legal migration pathways.
Source: Gulf News
