News > Press Releases
Travel Ban Expands Racist, Xenophobic Immigration Policies
Posted on Jun 10 2025
Last week, the federal administration announced travel restrictions on 19 countries which went into effect yesterday. Both immigrant and non-immigrant visas are banned for twelve countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Seven other countries have bans on most immigrant visas and many non-immigrant visas: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The restrictions target primarily African and Asian countries, towards many of which the President has directed racist vitriol in the past. Nine of the twelve banned countries are Muslim-majority countries.
This new travel ban follows the federal government’s suspension of the refugee resettlement program and almost all asylum applications at the southern border. While the vast majority of refugees, including those with already-approved applications and travel plans, are barred from entry, the administration extended special privileges and expedited admissions to white South Africans.
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota Executive Director Jennifer Stohl Powell said: “The latest restrictions on specific countries come on the heels of blatantly racist, aggressive immigration enforcement that has terrorized communities nationwide. The supposed justifications for this action cannot disguise its overtly racist and xenophobic purpose.”
“The travel ban, like previous actions targeting refugees, asylum seekers, humanitarian parolees, Temporary Protected Status holders, and international students, furthers xenophobia under the guise of national security.”