The United States is reportedly considering extending its travel ban to 36 more countries, potentially restricting entry for nearly 1.5 billion people.
This dramatic expansion follows an earlier State Department announcement this month that barred entry to citizens from 12 nations and imposed partial bans on seven others, reviving a measure from President Trump’s first term.
Expanding the ban to include US partners like Egypt and other countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, appears to intensify the president’s immigration crackdown.
The Washington Post reported reviewing the internal memo, which was reportedly signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and sent to diplomats.
A source confirmed the document’s accuracy, stating it grants listed nations 60 days to meet new State Department requirements.
The countries include populous African nations like Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania, alongside Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Saint Lucia, South Sudan, Syria, and Vanuatu.
Should the ban fully expand, nearly one in five people globally would reside in a country targeted by US travel restrictions, encompassing 1.47 billion people or 18% of the world’s population.
The State Department declined to confirm the memo but stated it “constantly reevaluates policies to ensure the safety of Americans.”
President Trump had previously warned of expanding the ban to other countries as “threats emerge,” noting the initial measure was spurred by a recent “terrorist attack” in Colorado by an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa.
