Washington, DC – The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) vehemently opposes the recent reinstatement and expansion of the travel ban on several countries in the Global South. It targets many fragile nations, including many Muslim-majority countries.
Contact: media@fcnl.org
The travel ban takes effect on June 9. It restricts entry into the United States by nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. It also creates additional barriers for nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
“The Trump administration is once again undermining core principles of religious freedom and respect for the dignity of all people. This reinstated and expanded travel ban particularly discriminates against our Muslim siblings and we urge Congress to stand up and speak out against it,” said FCNL General Secretary Bridget Moix. “We are called to love our neighbors, no exceptions.”
The travel bans stem from President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14161, issued on Jan. 20, 2025. It directed the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and others to identify nations deemed to have insufficient security vetting procedures. The administration also seeks to penalize nations it identifies as having high rates of citizens who overstayed their visas in the U.S.
During his first term, President Trump blocked travel to the U.S. from various Muslim-majority countries in Africa and the Middle East. The ban created chaos and separated families. The travel ban affirmed and perpetuated Islamophobia, causing acts of violence and discrimination toward Muslims in the United States.
“The U.S. government can safeguard its sovereignty and national security interests without shunning entire populations of people and tearing families apart,” said Anika Forrest, FCNL’s legislative director for domestic policy. “Security does not mean closing the door of refuge—especially where a history of U.S. interventionism predates the conditions of people fleeing conflict, economic upheaval, and disaster in many of the named nations. This ban deepens exclusion, following the administration stripping the legal status for nationals from many of the same nations like Afghanistan, Haiti, and Venezuela.”
FCNL calls on Congress to pass the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act (H.R. 924/S. 398), which would restrict the government’s ability to impose a travel bans and extend the Immigration and Nationality Act’s nondiscrimination provisions to religion. Legislators must prioritize the humanity of all people.
To learn more, please visit www.fcnl.org.
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