If President Donald Trump’s administration has its way, 36 additional countries could be banned from entering the United States.
The possible plan was revealed in an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters.
These 36 countries will be added to the 12 Trump banned in an effort to protect the United States against “foreign terrorists.”
Restricting immigration to the U.S. has been a hallmark in Trump’s second term in the Oval Office.
“The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days,” a cable sent out over the weekend and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
One of the issues with certain countries is the lack of dependable documents, per the cable. Another issue involved “questionable security” of a country’s passport.
Some of these countries dod not cooperate in removing their citizens when they were ordered to be removed. Some citizens were overstaying their visas.
“We are constantly reevaluating policies to ensure the safety of Americans and that foreign nationals follow our laws,” a senior State Department official said. The official did not to comment on specific internal communications.
“The Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,” per the official.
The countries that could face a full or a partial ban are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The countries affected earlier this month were Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The entry of people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela has also been partially restricted.
