The Trump administration is considering expanding its travel ban policy to include Nigeria, Ghana, and up to 34 other countries, according to internal government documents and reports from U.S. media outlets. The proposed expansion comes as part of a broader review by the U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security to address what officials claim are security and immigration risks.
According to sources cited in a report by The Washington Post, the policy framework under review would place countries into different categories depending on their perceived level of compliance with U.S. security protocols. Nations that fail to meet the criteria could face varying levels of restrictions, ranging from full entry bans to limited visa access.
Countries under scrutiny reportedly include Nigeria, Ghana, Sudan, Egypt, and several others across Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands. Officials cited reasons such as high rates of visa overstays, insufficient identity-document systems, poor data-sharing cooperation, and security-related concerns as justification for the proposed policy.
Affected countries would have a 60-day window to present detailed action plans demonstrating improvements in their internal systems to avoid potential restrictions. U.S. officials stated that this move is intended to encourage compliance with global security standards and improve data transparency between governments.
Critics of the proposed expansion have voiced concerns that the policy could further damage diplomatic relations between the United States and developing nations, accusing the administration of targeting countries based on ethnicity, religion, or economic status rather than specific threats.
Although no final list has been made public, discussions around the expansion are ongoing. Affected governments are expected to begin diplomatic engagements with U.S. authorities to clarify their positions and possibly prevent punitive measures from being imposed.
This potential move comes amid broader immigration policy shifts by the Trump administration aimed at tightening entry requirements and enhancing vetting procedures for foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States.
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