Trump Administration Eyes Major Expansion of Foreign Entry Restrictions
The Trump administration is preparing to dramatically broaden U.S. travel restrictions in response to last week’s deadly attack on two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House, with officials signaling that as many as 30 nations may soon be added to a new immigration blacklist.
A senior administration source confirmed that the list — which already targets 19 “countries of concern” — is set to grow “significantly,” and could continue expanding based on evolving security assessments.
“We will be announcing the list soon,” a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday, declining to identify specific countries. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who has taken a hard-line stance on immigration, teased the announcement Monday night on X, calling the proposal a “full travel ban.”
In her post, Noem urged Trump to include “every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies” on the restricted list. She argued the United States cannot allow foreign nationals to “slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS.”
“WE DON’T WANT THEM. NOT ONE,” she wrote in all caps.
The proposal comes amid a sweeping crackdown following the Thanksgiving eve shooting that killed National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically injured Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, outside the White House complex. Authorities arrested 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national accused of opening fire during a confrontation.
The attack has reignited security concerns surrounding Afghan resettlement programs and immigration vetting processes.
Prior to the shooting, the White House had already announced a freeze on asylum decisions and ordered a review of more than 720,000 green card holders from the 19 countries currently on the restricted list.
The State Department has since paused all visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports.
Lakanwal’s immigration history is now under intense political scrutiny. A former member of a CIA-backed elite Afghan military unit that helped battle the Taliban, he was evacuated to the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome — a program launched by the Biden administration following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
He was granted asylum in April, placing him on track to obtain a green card next year.
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