The United States may be prepared to expand its travel ban to include 36 additional companies. This would effectively ban tourists and travelers from 36 countries from entering the country.
Immigration has been one of the defining issues of the early second Trump administration. Reuters reported an internal State Department cable showed an expanded travel ban. This comes after Trump banned the entry of people from 12 countries earlier in the month. At the time, the president listed national security as the reason.
This comes amid what the president has dubbed one of the largest mass deportation initiatives in American history. The administration has cracked down on illegal immigration, but also denied enrollment to foreign students as well. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the internal diplomatic cable.
He listed dozens of concerns over the countries listed for the proposed travel ban. This included the lack of a cooperative government and questionable security for these countries. Some countries on the list were reportedly not helpful in the deportation of their citizens back after U.S. marked them for deportation.
Travel Ban For Certain Countries
"The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," it read.
The U.S. Department also were concerned over potential terrorism and law breaking concerns, according to the document.
"We are constantly reevaluating policies to ensure the safety of Americans and that foreign nationals follow our laws," a senior State Department official told the New York Post.
"The Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process," the official also said.
The travel ban would include the following: 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.
