The administration of US President Donald Trump is reportedly contemplating a significant expansion of its travel ban, potentially prohibiting citizens from 36 additional countries from entering the United States, as indicated by an internal State Department cable reviewed by Reuters.
Earlier this month, the Republican president issued a proclamation that barred the entry of citizens from 12 countries, justifying the action as necessary to safeguard the United States from “foreign terrorists” and various national security risks.
This directive formed part of an immigration enforcement initiative that Mr. Trump initiated at the onset of his second term, which has involved the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelan individuals alleged to be gang members, along with efforts to restrict enrollments of some international students in US universities and to deport others.
In an internal diplomatic cable signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department conveyed a dozen concerns regarding the countries in question and requested corrective measures.
The cable was initially reported by the Washington Post.
Among the issues highlighted by the State Department was the lack of a competent or cooperative government in some of the countries mentioned, which affects the production of reliable identity documents. Another concern included the “questionable security” pertaining to the passports of those countries.
According to the cable, some nations were uncooperative in facilitating the expulsion of their nationals from the US who had been ordered to leave. Additionally, certain countries had citizens overstaying the US visas granted to them.
Other notable concerns involved nationals from the countries engaging in acts of terrorism within the United States or participating in anti-Semitic and anti-American activities.
The cable clarified that not all concerns applied to every country listed.
The countries that may face a full or partial ban if they do not address these issues within the next 60 days include: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
This would represent a considerable expansion of the ban that was implemented earlier this month, which affected countries such as Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The entry of individuals from seven additional countries—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—has also been partially restricted.
During his first term in office, Mr. Trump introduced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations, a policy that underwent multiple revisions before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
