US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has announced that the Trump administration will expand its travel ban from 19 countries to more than 30, though she declined to identify which nations will be added. In an interview on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, Noem said the list will cross the 30-country mark and suggested that the White House continues to assess further additions. “I won’t be specific on the number, but it’s over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries,” she said.
Her remarks follow a public social-media post she made after meeting Donald Trump, calling for a “full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.” On June 4, the administration issued a proclamation imposing full or partial immigration restrictions on 19 countries, primarily from Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
The latest push comes after a shooting in Washington, DC, in which a National Guard member was killed and another injured. The suspect was reportedly an Afghan national admitted under an earlier resettlement programme. Noem and the Department of Homeland Security say they are re-evaluating the vetting processes for migrants admitted during previous administrations, with special scrutiny on individuals from countries already facing restrictions.
Donald Trump has recently intensified his immigration messaging, stating that he intends to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations and deport millions currently residing legally in the United States. He has repeatedly linked immigration to rising crime, housing shortages and what he calls “social dysfunction.” The administration’s expansion of the travel ban is expected to spark significant domestic and international backlash once the full list of additional countries is made public.
