US weighs expanding travel ban to over 30 countries, citing security and vetting failures

The United States is considering expanding its travel ban to more than 30 countries, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday, signalling the most extensive restrictions since the Trump administration first introduced the measure.

“I won’t be specific on the number, but it’s over 30, and the President is continuing to evaluate countries,” Noem told Fox News, arguing that the US should not allow entry from nations without “stable” governments capable of meaningfully vetting travellers.

Her comments follow a fiery statement earlier in the week in which she recommended “a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”

RelatedTRT World - White House shooting suspect previously worked with CIA in Afghanistan: FBI

DC shooting fuels push for broader travel restrictions

The renewed push for expanded restrictions comes after President Donald Trump, on November 28, threatened a permanent halt on migration from “third world countries,” a declaration sparked by a deadly November 26 shooting near the White House that killed one National Guard member and wounded another.

The suspect—a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 during the chaotic Kabul evacuation and was granted asylum in April—had previously worked with several US government entities, including the CIA, according to US media reports.

The incident prompted an immediate freeze on new Afghan visas and asylum decisions. It also revived scrutiny of a June executive order already restricting entry from 19 countries due to vetting gaps, high visa overstay rates, and refusal by some governments to accept deported nationals.

Officials say the White House is now reviewing whether to widen the list dramatically.