By Ginika Igboke
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Dec. 4 that the Trump administration intends to expand the number of countries subject to the U.S. travel ban, potentially pushing the total beyond 30.
Currently, the United States enforces full or partial entry suspensions on nationals from 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Cuba, Somalia, Libya, Laos, Burma (Myanmar), and Sudan. Noem declined to name which additional countries are being evaluated but confirmed that the list would grow.
“I won’t be specific on the number, but it’s over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries,” she said during an interview on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle. She added that nations lacking stable governance or the ability to verify the identities of travelers should not expect unrestricted access to the United States.
“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?” Noem asked.
Criticism of Asylum Backlogs
Noem attributed the current backlog in the asylum system—now exceeding one million cases—to policies implemented under the Biden administration. She argued that legitimate applicants struggled to move through the system “because the Biden administration was just allowing people to come here … and then they weren’t vetting them and backlogging their cases.”
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently paused all asylum decisions following the Nov. 26 shooting of two National Guard members in Washington. Authorities say the suspect is an Afghan national who entered the United States in September 2021 through a Biden-era resettlement program.
Calls for a Full Travel Ban
Following a Dec. 2 meeting with President Donald Trump, Noem urged the administration to impose a “full travel ban” on countries she claims are sending criminals and welfare-dependent migrants to the United States.
She posted on X expressing her support for stricter restrictions, stating that the nation should prioritize the security and well-being of its citizens.
Trump’s Broader Immigration Agenda
President Trump has said his administration plans to pause immigration from what he called “third-world countries” to allow the U.S. immigration system to recover fully. Speaking to reporters on Nov. 30, he clarified that he was referring to countries that are “not friendly to us” or “out of control themselves,” citing Somalia as one example.
Trump also signaled support for a wide range of immigration reforms, including:
Suspending all federal benefits and subsidies for noncitizens
Denaturalizing immigrants who undermine domestic tranquility
Deporting individuals considered a public charge, security risk, or incompatible with Western cultural values
These proposals reflect a broader effort by the administration to tighten immigration policy and increase national security measures as it evaluates additional nations for possible travel restrictions.
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