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The Trump administration is considering a major expansion of its travel restrictions, with 36 additional countries potentially facing entry bans unless they meet new security and documentation standards set by the State Department, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.
The move follows a proclamation signed by President Donald Trump on June 4 that barred entry to nationals from 12 countries, citing the need to prevent foreign terrorists and other security risks from entering the United States.
The potential new list includes 25 African nations, such as Egypt and Djibouti, along with countries in the Caribbean, Central Asia and several Pacific Island nations.
The internal memo reportedly highlights several concerns, including the lack of a competent or cooperative central authority in some of the targeted nations, leading to unreliable identity or civil documentation. Other countries were flagged for systemic fraud and high rates of visa overstays by their citizens once inside the U.S.
According to the memo, these countries have until 8 a.m. ET on Wednesday to submit preliminary action plans outlining how they will meet the State Department’s criteria. Failure to do so could result in their addition to the existing travel ban list.
The timing of the potential expansion comes just after Israel conducted strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, using aircraft and drones allegedly smuggled into the country.
The news follows Trump’s recent proclamation barring most new visa applications from individuals in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Additional restrictions also apply to applicants from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, unless they already hold valid visas.
According to requirements distributed to U.S. embassies and consulates, previously issued visas remain valid. However, most new applicants from the targeted countries will be denied entry unless they qualify under narrow exemption criteria.
Unlike Trump’s initial travel ban in 2017, which targeted several majority-Muslim countries and led to problems at airports nationwide, the rollout of this latest policy appeared more organized. Immigration experts noted that the structure of the ban likely reflects lessons learned from prior legal battles, which forced revisions to Trump’s earlier executive orders.
