WASHINGTON: The United States is considering extending its travel ban to 36 more countries, a person who has seen the memo said Monday, marking a dramatic potential expansion of entry restrictions to nearly 1.5 billion people. The State Department early this month announced it was barring entry to citizens of 12 nations including Afghanistan, Haiti and Iran and imposing a partial ban on travelers from seven other countries, reviving a divisive measure from President Donald Trump’s first term.

The administration gave the nations 60 days to fix concerns, according to a State Department cable. The president already imposed a full or partial ban on citizens of 19 countries.

Another 36 countries have been put on alert after Trump imposed full bans on nationals from 12 countries and partial restrictions for visitors from another seven countries earlier…