Trump Admin Weighs Broad Expansion of Travel Ban After DC Shooting: Over 30 Nations at Risk

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{ "title": "Trump Admin Weighs Broad Expansion of Travel Ban After DC Shooting: Over 30 Nations at Risk", "article": "The Trump administration is considering a significant expansion of its travel ban, targeting over 30 countries following last week's shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, DC. According to reports, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has recommended increasing the ban to 30-32 countries. The decision comes in the wake of the shooting, which has sparked concerns about national security. Noem took to social media to express her views, urging a full travel ban on countries that 'flood our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.' The Trump administration had previously paused immigration applications, including green card requests, for 19 countries deemed high-risk. This list includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The new policy memo, posted on the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website, outlines a temporary halt on immigration-related decisions for immigrants from these countries. The memo notes that agency director Joseph Edlow will determine when the pause is lifted. The travel ban expansion is being justified in part by the recent shooting, which involved an Afghan national. The incident has raised concerns about the need for heightened scrutiny of immigrants from high-risk countries. According to the memo, immigrants from these countries already inside the US will face comprehensive reviews, potential interviews, and re-interviews. Within 90 days, the agency plans to compile a prioritized list of immigrants for re-review and, if needed, refer cases to immigration enforcement or other law enforcement bodies. The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to tighten immigration restrictions. The State Department has suspended visa processing for Afghans who assisted the US war effort, and USCIS has paused all asylum decisions. The administration's decision to expand the travel ban has sparked concerns about the impact on immigrants from affected countries. The move is likely to be met with criticism from advocacy groups and lawmakers who argue that it will unfairly target certain nationalities. "