DHS Advised to Expand U.S. Travel-Ban List to About 30–32 Countries After D.C. Shooting, Noem Says

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has recommended to the White House that the U.S. travel-ban list be expanded from the current 19 countries to roughly 30–32, a source familiar with the matter says. Nationals of countries on the travel-ban list face restrictions on travel to the United States. The source added the list could grow further as officials continue their assessments, though it is not yet clear which countries would be added or when any announcement will be made.

Recommendation follows Washington, D.C., shooting

The recommendation came in the wake of a shooting in Washington, D.C., that left one National Guard member dead and another critically injured. Authorities have identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who previously worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan, resettled in Washington state and was later granted asylum.

After meeting with the president, Noem said she had urged a "full travel ban" on what she described as "every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies."

Current restricted countries and agency actions

The current roster of 19 countries subject to full or partial travel restrictions includes:

• Afghanistan
• Burma (Myanmar)
• Chad
• Republic of the Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Libya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen
• Burundi
• Cuba
• Laos
• Sierra Leone
• Togo
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela

U.S. officials, including the president, have said some nations have insufficient document and passport screening or have historically refused to accept returns of their citizens. Senior administration officials have pointed to the D.C. shooting as a reason to step up immigration enforcement and to reassess vetting procedures.

On Tuesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memo pausing immigration applications from individuals originating in the 19 listed countries, effective immediately. The agency also said it will reexamine green cards previously issued to people from those countries and issued guidance allowing officers to consider country-specific factors as negative when reviewing immigration requests.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS, said it is reviewing asylum approvals granted during the previous administration. USCIS Director Joe Edlow later announced a pause on asylum decisions "until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible." Officials have not provided a timeline for lifting these pauses.

Note: The recommendation to expand the travel-ban list comes from a source familiar with the matter; officials have not released a definitive list of additions or a schedule for announcements.

Reporting contributions: Kaanita Iyer, Betsy Klein, Aleena Fayaz and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn.