Published On 5/12/2025
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Last update: 05:33 (Mecca time)
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said that the administration of President Donald Trump plans to expand the list of countries included in the travel ban from 19 countries to more than 30 countries.
Noem said in an interview with Fox News, “I will not be specific about the number, but it is more than 30 countries, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries.” Noem did not specify which countries would be added.
A few days ago, the Trump administration announced a series of new measures aimed at reducing immigration, which included freezing all immigration applications submitted by nationals of 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Yemen, and Sudan.
According to a memorandum issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the processing of applications for permanent residency (Green Card) and citizenship for citizens from 12 countries subject to the travel ban has been suspended since June.
The list includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Seven other countries were also added to the list: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The memorandum confirmed that files related to citizens of these countries, including those who entered the United States after January 20, 2021, will be subject to expanded scrutiny that may include re-examination of previously decided applications.