By Humeyra Pamuk
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is considering a significant expansion of its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 countries from entering the United States.
Earlier this month, the Republican president signed a announcement that banned citizens from 12 countries and said the move needed to protect the United States from “foreign terrorists” and other national security threats.
The directive was part of an immigrant crackdown on Trump initiated at the beginning of the second term, including the deportation of El Salvador, who was suspected of becoming a gang member, as well as the efforts of some foreign students to enroll from American universities and the expulsion of other universities.
In an internal diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined more than a dozen concerns about the countries concerned and sought corrective measures.
The cable sent over the weekend said: “The department has identified 36 countries of concern and may be advised to have it suspended in full or partially if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days.”
The cable was first reported by The Washington Post.
The concern raised by the State Council is that some countries mentioned that some countries lack competent or cooperative governments to produce reliable identity documents. The other is the “suspicious security” of the country's passport.
The cable said some countries have no cooperation in promoting the removal of their nationals from those who evacuated their U.S. Some countries overestimate the U.S. visas their citizens are granted.
Other concerns are the involvement of nationals in the United States in terrorism, or anti-Semitism and anti-American activities.
The cable notes that not all of these issues are related to every country listed.
“We are constantly reevaluating policies to ensure Americans are safe and comply with our laws,” a senior State Department official said.
“The State Department is committed to protecting our country and its citizens through our visa process to maintain the highest national security and public safety standards.”
If these issues are not resolved within the next 60 days, countries that may face full or partial bans are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cameroon, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, Co
This will be a significant extension of the ban that will come into effect earlier this month. The affected countries are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
People from seven other countries – Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela – were also partially restricted.
Trump announced a ban on travelers in seven Muslim-majority countries during his first term, a policy that went through several iterations before the Supreme Court maintained it in 2018.
(Reported by Humeyra Pamukediting) Bill Berkrot
