The Trump administration is set to expand its travel ban to more than 30 countries, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed in an interview with Fox News Channel host Laura Ingraham. The move comes as the administration seeks to tighten security measures following a recent shooting of two National Guard members in Washington.
President Donald Trump had already announced a travel ban in June, which barred entry to 12 countries and restricted access to seven others. However, Noem hinted earlier this week that more countries would be included in the ban. Now, it appears that over 30 countries will be affected by the expanded restriction.
Noem refused to provide further details on the specific countries that will be added to the list, saying only that they must have an unstable government or fail to meet certain security standards. "If they don't have a stable government there, if they don't have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here to the United States?" she said.
The move has been met with criticism from immigration advocates, who argue that it amounts to collective punishment for people who have already undergone extensive vetting to enter the US. "It's not fair to penalize all citizens of a certain country just because of one bad actor," they say.
In addition to the expanded travel ban, the Trump administration has also taken other measures to tighten immigration security. These include halting asylum decisions and processing of immigration-related benefits for people from the 19 countries included in the initial ban, as well as reducing the validity period of work permits for certain applicants such as refugees and people with asylum.
The latest move is part of a rapidly unfolding series of immigration actions since the shooting incident on Thanksgiving week. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who emigrated to the US after the US withdrawal, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting that left two National Guard members critically injured.
President Donald Trump had already announced a travel ban in June, which barred entry to 12 countries and restricted access to seven others. However, Noem hinted earlier this week that more countries would be included in the ban. Now, it appears that over 30 countries will be affected by the expanded restriction.
Noem refused to provide further details on the specific countries that will be added to the list, saying only that they must have an unstable government or fail to meet certain security standards. "If they don't have a stable government there, if they don't have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here to the United States?" she said.
The move has been met with criticism from immigration advocates, who argue that it amounts to collective punishment for people who have already undergone extensive vetting to enter the US. "It's not fair to penalize all citizens of a certain country just because of one bad actor," they say.
In addition to the expanded travel ban, the Trump administration has also taken other measures to tighten immigration security. These include halting asylum decisions and processing of immigration-related benefits for people from the 19 countries included in the initial ban, as well as reducing the validity period of work permits for certain applicants such as refugees and people with asylum.
The latest move is part of a rapidly unfolding series of immigration actions since the shooting incident on Thanksgiving week. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who emigrated to the US after the US withdrawal, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting that left two National Guard members critically injured.
I'm getting so fed up with this travel ban thingy... like what's next? We're already talking over 30 countries now and it's just not right! 
People are going to get hurt, innocent people, because of one guy who happened to come from a certain country. It's not fair on the whole population, you know? They've already been vetted, they've passed the test, but because of this one bad apple... it's just wrong 
. Can't we just accept people for who they are and give them a chance? 
It's not like we're going to be invaded or anything 
. We need to find better ways to deal with security issues, like actual intelligence gathering and stuff, instead of just targeting certain countries 
.
I'm not sure about this expanded travel ban... it feels like they're painting all countries with one brush. Like, what's a stable government anyway? And who gets to decide that? It sounds like a power trip to me 
. I get that security is important, but can't we find more targeted solutions instead of slapping a blanket ban on entire countries? It's just not fair to people who have done nothing wrong, you know? Like, Rahmanullah, for example... he moved here after the war and everything turned out okay 
. I wish they'd take a closer look at the facts before making such drastic decisions 
.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions 
, but we should always consider the collateral damage 
. It's not just about keeping our country safe, it's also about being human beings with hearts and minds 
. We need to find a balance between security and compassion 
. The devil is in the details 
It's just not right, you know? We gotta think about the innocent folks who have already been vetted and everything 
. I mean, it's like the whole country's being penalized for something that happened on one guy's watch...no pun intended 
. What's next? Are we gonna ban people from Canada because of a random hockey game gone wrong? 
️
just found out that over 30 countries are gonna be banned from travelin' to the States... like what's next? Worldwide lockdown? 
... this travel ban thing is just ridiculous 
... shouldn't we be focusing on mental health issues instead of just locking down people? 
. what's next? banning people from whole regions or something? 
and yeah, the logic behind it makes no sense... if they've already vetted you to come here, why would that stop now?