Fact Check: The Trump administration is considering adding 26 countries, mostly from Africa, to its travel ban list, as outlined in a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

Fact Check: "The Trump administration is considering adding 26 countries, mostly from Africa, to its travel ban list, as outlined in a memo obtained by The Washington Post."

What We Know

The claim that the Trump administration is considering adding 26 countries, primarily from Africa, to its travel ban list is based on a memo reviewed by The Washington Post. The memo indicates that the administration is contemplating expanding travel restrictions to include 36 additional countries, of which 25 are indeed African nations. This expansion follows a previous travel ban that already restricted entry from several countries, including some in Africa, and was part of a broader crackdown on immigration policies initiated by the Trump administration.

The countries listed in the memo include significant U.S. partners such as Egypt and Djibouti, alongside others from the Caribbean, Central Asia, and the Pacific. The memo outlines that these nations are being given 60 days to meet new benchmarks established by the State Department, or they would face visa bans or other restrictions (Reuters, The New Republic).

Analysis

The assertion that the Trump administration is considering adding 26 countries to its travel ban list is partially true. The memo indeed discusses the potential for expanding the travel ban to include 36 countries, with a significant number being African. However, the claim simplifies the situation by stating "26 countries" instead of the correct figure of 36.

The sources reporting on this issue include reputable outlets such as The Washington Post and Reuters, both of which have established credibility in political reporting. The memo's contents, as reported, reflect the administration's ongoing scrutiny of countries based on various criteria, including the ability to provide reliable identity documents and the prevalence of visa overstays.

However, it is essential to note that the memo does not guarantee that these travel restrictions will be implemented; it merely outlines a consideration and a process for evaluating compliance from the listed countries. Thus, while the claim has a factual basis, it lacks the nuance regarding the total number of countries and the conditional nature of the proposed actions.

Conclusion

Verdict: Partially True. The claim that the Trump administration is considering adding 26 countries, mostly from Africa, to its travel ban list is partially accurate. The administration is indeed contemplating expanding the travel ban to 36 countries, with a significant number being African nations. However, the specific figure of 26 is misleading, as it understates the total number of countries involved in the discussion.

Sources

1. Trump administration considers adding 36 countries to travel ban list
2. Trump administration weighs adding 36 countries to travel ban, memo ...
3. Trump Wants to Ban a Quarter of the World From Traveling to the U.S.
4. Trump Targets Africa in Major Travel Ban Expansion
5. Trump considering adding another 36 countries to his no ...