JAKARTA - United States President Donald Trump's administration is considering extending travel restrictions significantly with the possibility of barring citizens from 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to the State Department's internal cables seen by Reuters.
Earlier this month, the Republican president signed an announcement banning the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying it was necessary to protect the United States from "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats.
The order was part of an immigration crackdown launched by President Trump this year at the beginning of his second term, which included deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members to El Salvador, as well as attempts to reject the registration of a number of foreign students from US universities and deport others.
In an internal diplomatic cable signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and requested corrective action.
"The department has identified 36 countries that need to worry about that may be recommended for a full or partial entry suspension if they do not meet the benchmarks and requirements set within 60 days," the cable sent at the weekend said.
The cable was first reported by the Washington Post.
Among the concerns raised by the State Department is the lack of competent or cooperative government by several countries mentioned to produce reliable identity documents, the cable said. Another concern is the "questionable security" of the country's passport.
Several countries, said the cable, were uncooperative in facilitating the expulsion of their citizens from the United States who were ordered to be expelled. Meanwhile, some countries have crossed the US visa limits granted to their citizens.
Another reason to worry is that citizens are involved in acts of terrorism in the United States, or anti-American and anti-American activities.
The cable also noted that not all of these concerns are related to each listed country.
"We continue to re-evaluate policies to ensure the safety of Americans and foreign nationals comply with our laws," said a senior State Department official, who declined to comment on certain internal deliberations and communications.
"The Department of Foreign Affairs is committed to protecting its country and citizens by upholding the highest national security and public safety standards through our visa process," the official stressed.
It is known that countries that can face full or partial bans if they do not address this issue in the next 60 days are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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It will be a significant extension of the ban that took effect earlier this month. The affected countries are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Guinea Equatorial, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Previously, the inclusion of people from seven other countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela - has also been partially restricted.
During his first term of office, President Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, a policy that underwent several changes before it was enforced by the Supreme Court in 2018.
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