The Trump administration is considering adding 36 countries to the U.S. travel ban announced earlier this month unless those nations conform with certain benchmarks and requirements established by the State Department, according to a memo viewed by The Washington Post.
Trump on June 4 signed a proclamation banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the U.S., saying the move was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats.
The new list of countries includes 25 African nations, including U.S. partners such as Egypt and Djibouti, plus countries in the Caribbean, Central Asia, and several Pacific Island nations, per the Post.
The move comes a day after Israel launched attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists.
The memo viewed by the Post said some of the countries had "no competent or cooperative central government authority to produce reliable identity documents or other civil documents" or suffered from "widespread government fraud."
Others had large numbers of citizens who overstayed their visas in the U.S.
The countries have until Wednesday at 8 a.m. ET to provide an initial action plan for meeting the State Department's requirements.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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