U.S. Gives 36 Countries Deadline to Improve Travel Vetting or Face Visa Ban
According to reports from the Associated Press, a weekend cable from the U.S. State Department instructed embassies and consulates in the affected nations to assess their host countries’ willingness to enhance security measures. The countries have until Wednesday to express their commitment to improving vetting processes and cooperating with U.S. deportation efforts.
The move is part of the administration’s broader crackdown on visa overstays and perceived national security risks. President Trump has repeatedly criticized some countries for what he describes as “deficient” screening systems and a refusal to repatriate their own citizens deported from the U.S.
The Trump administration has issued a diplomatic warning to 36 countries—most of them in Africa—demanding urgent reforms in how they handle travel documentation and nationals residing illegally in the United States.
The confidential diplomatic cable, first reported by The Washington Post, urges nations to act within 60 days or risk inclusion in the U.S. travel ban, which currently affects 12 countries. Of the 36 newly targeted nations, 25 are in Africa.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce declined to comment on the specifics of the cable but confirmed the administration’s stance. “We’re looking at providing a period of time,” she said. “If countries don’t get to that point where we can trust them—they’ve got to change the system, update it, do whatever they need to do to convince us.”
Bruce emphasized that the U.S. is urging countries not only to enhance vetting for passport holders but also to accept the return of deported nationals and take concrete steps to ensure their citizens do not pose a threat.
While the directive has drawn praise from administration supporters citing national security, critics—including some resettlement groups—argue that such measures risk deepening global divisions and may lead to retaliatory policies from affected nations.