US President Donald Trump's administration is considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters.
Earlier this month, President Trump signed a proclamation banning entry to citizens from 12 specific countries, citing the need to protect the United States from foreign terrorists and national security threats, reports Reuters.
This move was part of a broader immigration crackdown launched during the early months of his second term. The crackdown has included the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador over suspected gang ties, and restrictions on the enrollment of certain foreign students in US universities, with some students already being deported.
A diplomatic cable, signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlined further plans for immigration control. In the message, the State Department listed 36 additional countries as being “of concern” and warned they could face either a full or partial suspension of entry if they fail to meet required security benchmarks within 60 days.
The countries at risk include: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The 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.
This potential expansion would significantly broaden the scope of the original ban, which currently targets citizens from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
