The United States is getting ready to widen its travel restrictions to cover more than 30 countries, U S Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday. She spoke during an interview on The Ingraham Angle on Fox News, where she was asked if President Donald Trump’s administration would raise the number of countries under the travel ban to 32. “I won't be specific on the number, but it's over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries,” she said.

In June, President Trump signed a proclamation that banned citizens from 12 countries and placed limits on travellers from seven others. The order said the move was needed for national security and stated that it aimed to protect the country from “foreign terrorists” and other risks. The restrictions apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, including tourists, students and business visitors.

Noem did not name the countries that could be added, but said the administration was studying how stable these nations are and whether they are able to share information about their citizens. “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.

Earlier, Reuters reported that the administration was considering placing citizens from 36 more countries under the travel restrictions, based on details in a State Department cable. This possible expansion comes after recent security incidents, including the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. last week. Authorities said the suspect, an Afghan national, entered the country in 2021 through a resettlement program that officials now say did not have enough screening.

After the incident, President Trump announced a plan to “permanently pause” migration from what he described as “Third World Countries,” although he did not explain which nations he meant. Homeland Security officials also confirmed that he had ordered a review of asylum cases approved during the former Biden administration and of Green Cards issued to citizens from 19 countries.

Since returning to the office in January, President Trump has made stricter immigration controls a priority. His administration has deployed federal agents to major cities, limited access to asylum at the United States-Mexico border and increased deportation operations. The latest move shows that the administration is now placing more attention on changing the legal immigration system alongside its enforcement steps.