The Trump administration may subject 36 countries to full or partial travel bans, which would extend the list of 19 countries it restricted earlier this month. The Washington Post relayed a list of the allegedly proposed 36 countries. The outlet based its information on a State Department memo it reviewed. The latest potential extension of Trump’s second-term travel ban targets Caribbean and African countries intensely, although a few Central Asian and Pacific Island nations also face the same risk.
The countries on the list are:
Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Benin; Bhutan; Burkina Faso; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Democratic Republic of Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Ethiopia; Egypt; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Ivory Coast; 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.
According to the memo, some of the countries had “no competent or cooperative central government authority to produce reliable identity documents or other civil documents.” Meanwhile, the document claimed that others were listed because they had engaged in “widespread government fraud” or were nationals who had abused the United States’ visa system. The memo also called out people from the countries listed engaging in “antisemitic and anti-American activity in the United States,” among other qualms.
What Else Should I Know About The Possible Travel Ban Extension?
According to the Washington Post, the memo was sent to U.S. diplomats working with the 36 countries listed. The document, reportedly approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlined the State Department’s terms for the countries to meet to be in good standing with the U.S.
The countries listed have reportedly been given 60 days to meet the State Department’s demands. Moreover, they were allegedly given till 8 a.m. June 18 to provide an initial plan of how they’ll meet the State Department’s needs.
The memo didn’t detail whether the travel restrictions would be the same as those wholly or partially placed on 19 countries earlier this month. The travel ban that took effect in early June entirely banned nationals of 12 countries from entering the U.S. Additionally, partial travel bans were imposed on an additional seven countries, restricting the entry of their nationals into the U.S. The travel bans continue the Trump administration’s harsh crackdown on immigrants, which has included rampant Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across the nation.
