Global Refuge Expresses Deep Concern Over Sweeping Travel Ban

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 4, 2025

Contact: Timothy Young | timothy.young@globalrefuge.org

Baltimore, M.D. — Citing alleged deficiencies in screening and vetting capabilities, the Trump administration today announced a sweeping travel ban, fully restricting entry to nationals from twelve countries, including Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen – with the exception of certain categorical exemptions and case-by-case waivers.

The proclamation also partially restricts and limits the entry of nationals of seven additional countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The new restrictions mirror similar actions first undertaken in January 2017, when President Trump issued an executive order barring entry to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries, leading to widespread protests and legal challenges. Federal courts initially blocked the ban, prompting revisions by the administration. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld a third iteration of the travel ban, which included narrower restrictions based on security vetting procedures as opposed to religious motivations.

“While national security is an important priority, indiscriminate restrictions against entire nationalities should not supersede the merits of an individual visa application” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge. “We are deeply concerned that this ban could undermine our humanitarian leadership, delay or derail family reunifications, and significantly impact our economy and labor force. We urge policymakers to ensure that any additional security measures are applied with evidence-based precision that upholds our nation’s core values and aligns with our economic and workforce needs.”

While the executive order does not formally bar these nationalities from seeking asylum or refugee status, it imposes sweeping visa restrictions that could prevent many from reuniting with family, pursuing education, or finding safe, legal avenues to seek protection. Notably, those impacted include individuals whose home countries are unstable, governed by repressive regimes, or otherwise conflict-ridden, such as Haiti, Sudan, and Venezuela, among others. Global Refuge remains concerned for vulnerable Afghans, particularly given the ongoing suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and the planned elimination of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) within the U.S. Department of State.

“Our moral obligation to thousands of Afghan women’s rights activists, humanitarian workers, journalists, and religious minorities did not end when the last U.S. military plane took off from Kabul,” added Vignarajah. “With refugee admissions currently suspended, these types of populations depend on alternative options they may be eligible for, such as family reunification visas. Shutting down their only remaining pathway to safety is needlessly cruel and runs contrary to the values so many Americans hold dear.”

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