Noem's statement comes against the backdrop of a recent incident involving an attack on two members of the U.S. National Guard near the White House, resulting in one of the service members dying in the hospital. The suspect turned out to be a citizen of Afghanistan who arrived in the U.S. in 2021.
In an interview with Fox News, she noted that she could not specify the exact number of countries that would be added to the list, but it would exceed 30. "The president continues to analyze the situation in different countries," she added.
The specific countries that may fall under the new ban were not named.
Noem emphasized that if a country lacks a stable government or the ability to identify migrants, there is no reason to allow them into the U.S. "Why should we accept people from such countries?" the minister questioned.
In June 2025, Donald Trump signed an order that restricted entry into the U.S. for citizens of 19 countries from Africa, Latin America, and Asia, including Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, as they were deemed potentially dangerous.
Following the recent incident near the White House, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services temporarily suspended the processing of all immigration applications coming from these 19 countries.
Previously, Trump had stated his intention to "permanently suspend" migration from "all third-world countries," cancel all federal benefits for non-citizens, and strip citizenship from migrants who may threaten the internal order of the country.
