US President Donald Trump stands with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Countries at risk of a full or partial ban include Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, Syria and Bhutan. The affected governments have been given 60 days to address US concerns and to face halts of intrusions. | Photo Credit: Nathan Howard/Reuters
According to the State Department’s Interior Cable, which Reuters saw, US President Donald Trump is considering significantly increasing travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens from entering the United States of 36 countries.
Earlier this month, the Republican president signed a declaration banning citizens from 12 countries, saying the move is necessary to protect the United States from “foreign terrorists” and other national security threats.
The directive was part of the immigrant crackdown that began at the start of the second term Trump began this year. This includes the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being members of the gang to El Salvador, as well as efforts to deny foreign students enrolling in the US universities and others.
In an internal diplomatic cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Department of State outlined 12 concerns regarding the country in question and called for corrective action.
“The department has identified concerns from 36 countries that may be recommended for a full or partial suspension of entries if they do not meet the benchmarks or requirements established within 60 days,” said Cable, which sent over the weekend.
The cable was first reported by the Washington Post.
The lack of competent or cooperative governments by some of the countries mentioned in order to produce reliable identity documents amid concerns raised by the State Department, Cable said. The other was the “suspecting security” of the country’s passport.
Cable said some countries were not cooperative in promoting the removal of citizens from the US ordered to be removed. In some countries, citizens were overstaying US visas granted.
Another reason for concern was that the nation’s citizens were involved in US terrorist acts, or anti-Semitic and anti-American activities.
Cable noted that not all of these concerns are related to all of the countries listed. The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
If these concerns are not addressed within the next 60 days, countries that may face a full or partial ban are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote de Iboa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Echopokkylgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, St. Kitz and Nevis, St. Lucia, Sant. Me and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tubal, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambwe.
That would be a massive extension of the ban that came into effect earlier this month. The countries affected were Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The entry of people from seven other countries, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, has also been partially restricted.
During his first appointment, Trump announced a ban on travelers from the vast majority of seven Muslim countries. This is a policy that went through several iterations before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Released on June 15th, 2025
