US Homeland Security Secretary has called for an expansion of the travel ban to include countries that are “flooding” the US with criminal activity, in a clear reference to the latest shooting in Washington, D.C. The list of potentially targeted countries has not yet been announced and is still being evaluated by US President Donald Trump.
Kristi Noem took to social media to demand action. She wrote that she had met with President Donald Trump and recommended “a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”
I just met with the President.
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) December 1, 2025
I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.
Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom—not for foreign…
She also questioned why the US should admit nationals from states lacking a “stable government” and unable to “sustain itself” or help vet individuals seeking entry to America.
Although both Trump and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared Noem’s post on their social media accounts, the department has not officially endorsed her proposal. The DHS informed the BBC that it would release the list of countries once the review was complete.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later told Fox News that Noem’s recommendation would be added to the list of “third-world and failed countries” established by the Trump administration in June.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated:
— 𝐿𝒶𝒹𝓎 𝒱 🥀 (@V_Lady2024) December 2, 2025
“Tonight, Secretary Kristi Noem announced her recommendation to expand the travel ban to additional countries.
If you do not share the values of the United States, if you do not respect our nation, our culture, our laws, and our people,… pic.twitter.com/SfFUrRTZiw
This list already includes 19 countries, primarily in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, whose citizens face partial or complete restrictions on entering the US. The rules apply to all citizens applying for entry, whether for tourism, studies or business.
According to multiple officials, Noem’s recommendations are expected to increase the number of states on the list to more than 30, a figure similar to that expressed by the government in June.
This escalation follows the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. Twenty-year-old Sarah Beckstrom died from her injuries, while Andrew Wolfe was seriously wounded. The suspect is an Afghan national who entered the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, a programme created to resettle Afghans who had assisted US forces prior to the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.
President Trump called the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., an “act of terror,” and pledged to bring the suspect, a 29-year-old Afghan national, to justice.
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 27, 2025
🔗 Read more: https://t.co/Fc19sqjOUc pic.twitter.com/omjz3DsTiM
In the aftermath of the attack, Noem wrote on social media that 100,000 Afghan nationals had entered the US under the programme and claimed that the DHS would intervene to “overrule” the vetting process that had enabled them to enter the US.
The administration has since reinforced its crackdown on immigration. The DHS and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have begun reviewing the issuance of green cards to nationals of the 19 countries that are already restricted and have temporarily paused decisions on new asylum claims “until every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” according to USCIS director Joseph Edlow.
Karoline Leavitt: "We continue to live with the deadly consequences of Joe Biden's horrific leadership. Nearly 100,000 Afghans were recklessly released into the United States with little to no vetting."https://t.co/yWSvYrJOow pic.twitter.com/5N5ZnUi3G2
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) December 2, 2025
The Afghan Community Coalition of the United States has expressed sympathy for the victims’ families and urged against collective blame. The group called for a “comprehensive investigation” and stressed that the shooting was “the act of one person,” warning against suspending Afghan immigration claims. “Twenty years of Afghan-US partnership must not be forgotten,” they said.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has urged Washington to uphold its international obligations towards asylum seekers.
