Overview
- The administration has identified 36 additional countries, predominantly in Africa, for possible inclusion in its travel ban and given them a 60-day window to address vetting concerns.
- The State Department initially indicated a June 18 deadline for action plans but later confirmed there is no fixed cutoff date for countries to comply.
- This expansion follows earlier directives that fully bar nationals from 12 countries and impose partial restrictions on seven others under a wider immigration crackdown.
- Officials employ a three-tier threat assessment system that weighs visa overstay rates, cooperation on deportation of nationals and reliability of identity documents to set ban severity.
- Critics argue the policy disproportionately targets lower- and middle-income nations with majority non-White populations and applies pressure by linking travel privileges to repatriation agreements.