The Trump administration is considering adding 36 more countries to its list of full and partial bans on entry into the U.S., a State Department cable seen by Reuters details. The additional countries would be a significant expansion of Trump’s travel ban on 12 countries imposed Monday, June 9.
36 countries face potential travel bans
“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,” the cable said. It also noted that countries could leverage their positions if they choose to accept third-nation individuals deported from the U.S.
The new cable was first reported Saturday, June 14, by the Washington Post.
Trump announced the initial ban –– which resembled a similar move restricting entry into the U.S. during his first term –– in a proclamation on Wednesday, June 4. At the time, he said it was intended to protect “the national security and national interest of the United States and its people.”
What’s the criteria for a travel ban?
Now, however, the administration wants to target three dozen more countries for a variety of reasons, including failure to issue reliable identity documents, “questionable security” of some countries’ passports, widespread government corruption, a failure to cooperate with U.S. deportations, and a citizenry that regularly overstay their U.S. visas. The cable also mentioned allegations of terrorism, antisemitism and anti-American activity.
The latter three offenses became a flashpoint right before the initial list of 12 countries was released, when an Egyptian national living in Colorado on an expired visa launched a terrorist attack targeting a group of pro-Israel demonstrators.
The cable, signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, clarified that the countries on the expanded list do not have to check each box to qualify for a full or partial travel ban.
In a statement, a senior official with the State Department said, “We are constantly reevaluating policies to ensure the safety of Americans and that foreign nationals follow our laws,” adding, “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 36 countries on the updated list 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.
Expanding the initial dozen
Previously, only 12 countries faced a full or partial ban. Those included: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
When those first dozen countries were unveiled, the administration did carve out some exemptions. For instance, people with visas who are already in the United States would not be removed, including those from Afghanistan on Special Immigration Visas.
According to The New York Times, the State Department issued about 170,000 visas last year to people from the 12 countries on the list, most of which were nonimmigrant visitor visas for tourism, business or study – a small fraction of the millions of visas issued every year.
At the time of the first travel ban earlier this month, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said in a statement, “This discriminatory policy — which limits legal immigration — not only flies in the face of what our country is supposed to stand for, it will be harmful to our economy and our communities that rely on the contributions of people who come to America from this wide range of countries.”
