The Trump administration is expected to significantly expand its controversial travel ban to include approximately 30 countries, a concrete measure aimed at aggressively curtailing legal migration into the United States. This anticipated expansion follows last week’s fatal shooting of a National Guard member in Washington, D.C.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official indicated that the list of newly added countries is expected to be announced soon. The current restrictions already impose a full block on travelers from 12 nations and partial restrictions on seven others, totaling 19 countries.
Immediate Immigration Freeze and Re-Review
In an immediate, decisive action, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Tuesday that it would pause all immigration requests—including applications for green cards and citizenship—from the 19 countries already restricted by the travel ban.
- Comprehensive Re-review: A USCIS policy memorandum stated the agency will launch a “comprehensive re-review” of approvals granted to people from these nations who entered the US on or after the start of the Biden administration (January 20, 2021).
- Targeted Nations: The 19 countries currently subject to the immigration pause are:
- Full Ban (12): Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
- Partial Restrictions (7): Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
- Policy Rationale: The USCIS memo directly cites the Washington shooting, which killed one Guard member and critically wounded another. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal (29), is an Afghan national who worked with US forces before arriving in the US in 2021.
White House Ramps Up Immigration Rhetoric
President Donald Trump and his allies have seized on the shooting, blaming the prior administration for Lakanwal’s entry and pushing for sweeping curbs on migrants. The move to expand the travel ban—a policy upheld by the Supreme Court in his first term—is seen as one of the most concrete steps in fulfilling his pledge to stem legal migration.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly confirmed she recommended the expansion after meeting with the President:
“I just met with the President. I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,” she posted on X.
Trump has broadly threatened to halt admissions from certain “developing nations,” revoke citizenship for some naturalized migrants, and end federal benefits for non-citizens. USCIS guidance has also been issued to consider a country’s inclusion on the travel ban list as a “significant negative factor” in immigration decisions.
The State Department has separately confirmed a pause on all visa issuances to Afghan nationals applying with Afghan passports, including those applying for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs).