By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies
The Trump administration is expanding the US travel ban from 19 to over 30 countries, following a recent shooting near the White House, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Noem said the number of affected countries will exceed 30, but declined to provide a specific list.
"I won't be specific on the number, but it's over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries," she stated.
Earlier, CBS News reported that officials were in discussions to broaden the existing Trump immigration policy, which currently targets 19 countries.
US President Donald Trump had announced late last month that his administration would implement an indefinite suspension of migration from what he termed "Third World Countries," a sweeping policy shift triggered by a fatal shooting near the White House the day before.
The directive follows an attack on November 26 that left two West Virginia National Guard members shot in Washington, DC. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, while Andrew Wolfe remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Authorities identified the suspected shooter as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. Records indicate that Lakanwal entered the United States in September 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome during the Biden administration's Afghanistan withdrawal.
However, government files show he was granted asylum status in 2025 under the current Trump administration.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump declared he would "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover."
The president did not specify which nations would fall under this classification or provide a timeline for the suspension; however, he indicated the policy would include reviewing cases approved during the Biden administration.
On another note, earlier on Thursday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services [USCIS] Director Joseph Edlow stated the administration would conduct "a full-scale, rigorous reexamination" of Green Card holders from designated countries of concern.
USCIS also immediately suspended all immigration applications from Afghan nationals on Wednesday night.
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