US DHS Secretary pushes for expanded travel bans
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has announced plans to recommend a travel ban on multiple countries, citing concerns that they are “flooding” the United States with criminal activity. Noem shared the plan on social media Monday, saying she had met President Donald Trump and would suggest “a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”
The Trump administration and DHS shared Noem’s post on official channels, though it remains unclear which nations would be affected or when restrictions could take effect. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Noem’s recommendation would expand an earlier ban on 19 countries, mostly in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, that Trump announced earlier this year, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
The comments come days after two National Guard members were shot in Washington DC by a suspect identified as an Afghan national who entered the U.S. under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome programme. The incident prompted DHS to pause asylum requests and review green cards for migrants from the 19 listed countries.
Noem also highlighted plans to overhaul vetting procedures for Afghan nationals, citing reports that the DC suspect struggled with mental health issues after arriving in the U.S. The Afghan Community Coalition urged authorities to continue Afghan immigration claims, emphasizing that the attack was the act of a single individual and should not halt broader refugee programs.
Meanwhile, the UN called on the U.S. to adhere to international agreements on asylum seekers, stressing the importance of balancing security concerns with humanitarian obligations.
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