Washington, D.C. – December 2, 2025 – U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has proposed a “full travel ban” on an unspecified list of countries she accuses of “flooding” the United States with dangerous migrants. The recommendation came in a sharply worded post on X (formerly Twitter) immediately following a Monday meeting with President Donald Trump and marks the most aggressive immigration measure yet from the second Trump administration.
“I just met with the President,” Noem wrote. “I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies. Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom—not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS. WE DON’T WANT THEM. NOT ONE.”
President Trump reposted the statement on Truth Social without comment-free late Monday night. A DHS spokesperson confirmed to reporters that the formal list of banned nations will be released “in the coming days,” though department insiders suggest it could ultimately include dozens of countries across Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
The announcement is a direct response to the deadly November 26 shooting near the White House that killed 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom and left 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe in critical condition. The alleged shooter, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, drove more than 2,700 miles from Bellingham, Washington, to carry out what federal authorities have described as a deliberate ambush on uniformed troops.
Lakanwal had served from 2018 to 2021 in Unit 03, an elite CIA-backed Afghan commando force known as the Kandahar Strike Force. He entered the United States legally on September 8, 2021, through Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden administration’s humanitarian parole program for Afghan allies. Despite multiple layers of vetting, including biometric screening and in-person interviews, Lakanwal struggled with language barriers, cultural isolation, an expired work permit, and mounting debt after arrival. He was granted asylum in April 2025—under the current Trump administration.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, the Trump administration announced a series of rapid-fire enforcement actions:
An indefinite pause on all new asylum decisions (currently affecting more than 1.5 million pending cases)
A “full-scale reexamination” of over 720,000 green cards issued to nationals from 19 designated “countries of concern”
A complete halt to visa issuance on Afghan passports and suspension of the Special Immigrant Visa program for U.S.-affiliated Afghans
The 19 countries already subject to full or partial restrictions under a June 2025 presidential proclamation are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen (full bans), and Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela (partial bans).
Last week, Secretary Noem described the White House attacker as an example of “unvetted, mass-paroled” individuals brought in under the previous administration and declared, “I will not utter this depraved individual’s name. He should be starved of the glory he so desperately wants.”
Civil-liberties groups, immigration attorneys, and foreign-policy experts have condemned the proposed blanket travel ban as collective punishment that will ensnare lawful residents, strain diplomatic relationships, and invite years of litigation. The American Civil Liberties Union called the measures “scorched-earth xenophobia,” while Afghan-American advocacy organizations stressed that one individual’s crime must not jeopardize thousands of vetted allies and their families.
As of Tuesday evening, Lakanwal remains hospitalized under heavy guard, facing upgraded federal charges that include first-degree murder of a U.S. service member, three counts of assault with intent to kill, and multiple firearms offenses. Investigators have found no evidence of ties to foreign terrorist organizations but are examining whether untreated mental-health issues and the recent death of a former commander may have contributed to his actions.
Memorial services for Sarah Beckstrom were held Monday evening outside the White House, attended by hundreds of mourners holding candles and photographs of the fallen soldier. Andrew Wolfe’s family released a brief statement saying he is showing “small but positive signs” in the ICU and asked for continued prayers.
With Congress set to reconvene in January and the administration already deploying an additional 500 National Guard troops to the capital, the coming weeks are expected to bring intense debate over the scope, legality, and long-term consequences of what could become the broadest travel and migration restrictions in modern U.S. history.
