Washington intends to extend the ban on travel to the United States to citizens of more than 30 countries, said US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
During an interview with Fox News, broadcast on Thursday, Noem refused to confirm whether the new list would reach 32 countries or to reveal the names of all the states in question, but stressed that President Donald Trump continues to evaluate “which nations to include for security reasons.”
Since June, the United States has banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries and restricted the entry of citizens from seven others, arguing that the measure is necessary to prevent the entry of “foreign terrorists” and prevent other threats.
The measures affect both immigrants and temporary visitors, including tourists, students and business travelers.
Noem justified the expansion of the list, citing the lack of stable governments capable of providing reliable information about their citizens.
Over the past week, several US media outlets have reported that the Trump Administration is considering banning entry to citizens from up to 36 additional countries, according to unnamed State Department sources.
The proposed bans would be based on the armed attack on two members of the National Guard last Wednesday in Washington.
The suspect in the attack is an Afghan citizen, who arrived in the United States in 2021, through a resettlement program that, according to the Trump Administration, lacked sufficient controls.
After the attack, the President promised to “permanently” suspend immigration from “third world countries”, without specifying which ones.
Since taking office in January, Trump has made the fight against illegal immigration one of his main priorities, sending federal agents to large cities governed by Democrats and toughening the treatment of asylum seekers at the border with Mexico.