U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the Donald Trump administration is about to significantly expand the number of countries included in the U.S. immigration ban. The information was revealed during an interview on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle.
Noem was questioned about the Trump administration’s intention to raise the total number of affected nations to 32. The secretary did not confirm the exact number but admitted that the list will likely exceed 30. “I won’t be specific about the number, but it’s above 30, and the president continues to evaluate the countries,” she declared.
The measure represents a new stage in the immigration policy adopted since Trump resumed office in January. In June, the president signed a proclamation that already prohibited the entry of citizens from 12 countries and imposed additional restrictions on travelers from seven others. The government justified the tightening of the rules as a way to prevent threats related to “foreign terrorists” and national security risks. The restrictions affect both immigrants and non-immigrants—including tourists, students, and business travelers.
Kristi Noem emphasized that the White House has used criteria related to governance and international cooperation capacity to determine possible inclusions. “If they don’t have a stable government, if they can’t sustain themselves as a country and inform us who these individuals are, why should we allow people from that country to come to the United States?” she questioned.
According to documents obtained by Reuters, the Trump administration was considering prohibiting the entry of citizens from up to 36 additional countries, as indicated in an internal State Department memo. This expansion occurs amid a general toughening of immigration policies following the attack that killed two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., last week. The suspect, an Afghan who entered the U.S. in 2021 through a resettlement program, underwent a screening process considered insufficient by the current administration.
In response to the incident, Trump promised to “permanently pause” migration from “Third World countries,” without specifying which countries those would be or the criteria to be adopted. Simultaneously, the Department of Homeland Security was ordered to review asylum grants approved during the administration of his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, as well as to reassess Green Cards issued to citizens of 19 countries.
Since returning to power, the president has focused much of his agenda on immigration control. The administration has increased the deployment of federal agents to major cities, strengthened deportation operations, and begun blocking asylum seekers at the Mexico border. Although the government frequently highlights actions against illegal immigration, the expansion of the banned countries list demonstrates that the White House also seeks to more deeply reshape legal entry flows into the country.
Source: brasil247.com