US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said she will recommend a sweeping travel ban targeting several countries she claims are “flooding” the United States with criminal activity.
In a post shared on Monday, Noem revealed she met with President Donald Trump and decided to recommend “a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”
Trump and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later reposted her comments on their official social media accounts, signaling strong backing for the proposal.
Which countries are affected?
It remains unclear which nations would be included in the new ban.
The DHS told the BBC that it would release the list soon.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking on Fox News, said Trump had already announced travel restrictions months ago on several “third world and failed state” countries, and that Noem’s recommendation would significantly widen the scope.
On 4 June, the White House listed 19 countries — mostly in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean — for full or partial immigration restrictions. Noem’s push suggests more nations may now be added.
Why the renewed push?
Noem’s remarks come days after two National Guard members were shot in Washington, DC last Wednesday.
Before calling for the travel ban, she criticized the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome, noting that around 100,000 Afghan nationals entered the US under the programme.
The DHS has now pledged to overhaul its vetting system.
Suspect in DC attack
Officials say the suspect in the DC shooting is an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 through the Operation Allies Welcome programme.
According to internal emails reported by CBS News, the suspect struggled with mental health challenges after arriving in the country.
