Trump plans to expand travel ban to 30 new countries: Why the list is expanding and what triggered it | Explained

A person is embraced as they arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport on June 9, 2025 in New York City. (AFP file photo used for representation.)

The United States is preparing to bar entry to foreign nationals from more than two dozen additional countries as part of a major expansion of its travel ban policy. President Donald Trump is reviewing the proposal, which comes soon after the killing of a National Guard member in Washington DC.

Officials familiar with the plan say the administration is considering adding at least 30 nations to a revised restricted list, with the possibility of further additions later. One source confirmed that internal discussions are nearing completion and that a formal announcement may be issued soon. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said the updated list would be released shortly and described the step as part of a broader tightening of immigration and national security controls.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem signaled the scale of the proposed changes in a post on X, where she said she had urged President Trump to introduce a much tougher policy. According to Noem, she recommended a “full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.” She added, “Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom, not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes or drain tax dollars. WE DON’T WANT THEM. NOT ONE."

The policy review follows last week’s attack on two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington DC. Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal is accused of killing 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and critically injuring 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe. Lakanwal entered the United States legally in 2021 through the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome programme and was granted asylum in April.

In response, the government has paused all asylum decisions and begun re-examining more than 720,000 green card holders from 19 countries described as “countries of concern.” The State Department has also suspended visa processing for travelers holding Afghan passports.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services has halted naturalisation ceremonies for some nationals from countries already affected by the summer travel ban. Reports indicate that individuals from Venezuela, Iran and Afghanistan were among those whose citizenship ceremonies were cancelled after the DC attack. A DHS spokesperson said the administration would take “no chances when the future of our nation is at stake” and stressed that citizenship is “a privilege, not a right.”

President Trump already signed a proclamation in June that fully restricted entry from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya and Somalia, and imposed partial restrictions on seven others. That order followed an antisemitic firebombing in Colorado, allegedly committed by an Egyptian national with an expired visa.

The current list of countries with full or partial restrictions includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump again criticised immigration from Somalia. He said the country remained a major concern for national security.