Trump weighing advice to expand ban on travel to U.S.

Washington — President Donald Trump is reviewing a Homeland Security Department recommendation that he expand one of the most controversial policies of his administration by banning people from an additional seven countries from traveling to the U.S.

The department suggested the White House expand the travel restrictions to Tanzania, Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria and Sudan, according to a person familiar with the review who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The administration’s first travel ban, enacted soon after Trump took office, targeted countries with large Muslim populations, sparking widespread outrage from Democrats and immigration activists. The Supreme Court upheld a revised version of the ban in June 2018.

An expanded ban would likely ignite new protests over what opponents earlier described as a “Muslim ban” because five of the countries on the new list have substantial Muslim populations. The White House is weighing the proposal ahead of November elections as Trump seeks to make immigration a focus of his campaign.

Spokesmen for Homeland Security and the White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the specific possible additions. On Tuesday, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley defended the ban as “profoundly successful in protecting our country and raising the security baseline around the world.”

“While there are no new announcements at this time, common sense and national security both dictate that if a country wants to fully participate in U.S. immigration programs, they should also comply with all security and counterterrorism measures,” Gidley said.

Suggested travel restrictions would apply to Tanzania, Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria and Sudan, a source said.