President Trump’s New Travel Restrictions

On June 4, 2025 the Trump Administration signed a proclamation barring nationals from twelve countries, primarily from Africa and the Middle East, from entry into the US and restricting the entry of nationals hailing from seven other countries. The travel ban is set to go into effect as 12:01 AM EST on Monday, June 9, 2025.

The ban, which had been anticipated, is in line with Trump’s Executive Order requiring intensified security vetting and identifying security risks per country. The newly announced travel prohibitions build on the travel ban Trump instituted during his first term in 2017, which prevented travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the US.  After legal challenges,  the Supreme Court upheld the travel ban in 2018 and in 2021 it was repealed by President Biden who called it "a stain on our national conscience."

Citing high rates of visa overstays, poor government cooperation on security, weak passport systems, and known terrorist activity of support, the President’s proclamation prohibits the entry of foreign nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen into the US. The ban also partially suspends the entry of foreign nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela noting they cannot come to the US permanently or apply for certain visas. People with green cards, current visas, or certain special reasons may still be allowed to enter.

The new travel ban does not apply to people with visas who are already in the US, and it includes a few other exemptions; specifically the order does not apply to:

  • "Lawful permanent" US residents or Green Card holders;

  • Immediate family members of lawful permanent residents who hold immigrant visas;

  • US government employees with Special Immigrant Visas;

  • Adoptees;

  • Dual nationals when the individual is not travelling on a passport from one of the affected countries;

  • Afghan nationals holding Special Immigrant Visas;

  • Holders of "immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran";

  • Foreign nationals travelling with certain non-immigrant visas; and

  • Athletes, their teams (including coaches and supporting staff), and their immediate family when travelling for major sporting events, such as the men's football World Cup in 2026 and the Summer 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

In addition, the Secretary of State may grant exemptions to individuals on a case-by-case basis, if the individual would serve in the national interest of the US.

We anticipate many legal challenges to the travel ban and will update this post as information becomes available.

UPDATE June 9, 2025: In line with the President’s Proclamation, the Department of State (“DHS”) issued a notice confirming that as of June 9, 2025, it is fully suspending visa issuance to nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen for all nonimmigrant and immigrant visa categories with limited exceptions as listed above. Also in effect is the partial suspension of visa issuance to nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela for nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visas, and all immigrant visas with limited exceptions as noted. Recipients of US visas issued before June 9, 2025, are reminded that their visas have not been or will not be revoked pursuant to the Proclamation.