Washington, MINA – The administration of the US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering significantly expanding its controversial travel ban, with restrictions potentially targeting travelers from 36 more countries, according to a classified memo obtained by The Washington Post.
The memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and dated Saturday, gives the listed countries a 60-day deadline to meet a set of US security and documentation benchmarks. Countries that fail to comply could face full or partial visa bans.
Among those on the proposed list are 25 African nations, including key US partners such as Egypt, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, as well as countries in Central Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Syria, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, and Vanuatu are also reportedly under consideration.
The rationale behind the expansion, as outlined in the memo, includes unreliable identity documentation systems, widespread civil registry fraud, and high rates of visa overstays. Additional concerns cited include offering citizenship through investment without residency, and alleged “antisemitic and anti-American activities within the US.”
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To avoid sanctions, countries are expected to submit detailed action plans by Wednesday at 8 a.m. (1200 GMT). Compliance may also require agreeing to accept deported nationals from third countries or signing safe third-country agreements with the United States.
This potential expansion follows Trump’s June 4 announcement of a full travel ban on 13 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, and Somalia, and partial restrictions on seven others. If implemented, the latest proposal would mark one of the most extensive overhauls of US immigration policy in recent decades.
The State Department declined to comment on the report, and the White House has not issued a formal statement.
The proposal has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers, who argue that it disproportionately targets African and Caribbean countries and mirrors Trump’s earlier travel bans, widely condemned as discriminatory.
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A recent executive order issued on Inauguration Day instructed federal agencies to identify countries with inadequate screening and vetting processes, laying the foundation for this latest action.
Trump has publicly stated that his renewed travel restrictions would be bigger and tougher than ever before. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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