RCUSA Condemns Trump Administration’s Expansion of Discriminatory Travel Ban

Washington, DC – Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) strongly condemns President Trump’s expanded travel ban that more than doubles the number of countries whose citizens are subject to full and partial restrictions. These new restrictions add 20 more countries (plus individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority–issued travel documents) to the 19 countries already targeted by a previous travel ban of June 4, 2025.

The new measure also removes certain exceptions for family reunification that were allowed for in the prior ban, and reaffirms the administration’s recent policy announcement halting visa issuances for Afghans who assisted the U.S. mission. This discriminatory proclamation represents the continued assault against immigrant communities, cements a series of administration officials’ punitive proposals, and is a further escalation of this administration’s divisive and cruel anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policies.

“The expanded travel ban reflects a policy approach grounded in bigotry, scapegoating, and collective punishment,” said John Slocum, Executive Director of Refugee Council USA. “The discriminatory intent – and frankly, the anti-Black, anti-Muslim racism of these travel bans is clear–at this point, individuals from Haiti and 26 out of the 54 independent countries of Africa are partially or fully banned from coming to the United States. Nine of the African countries affected by the travel ban are Muslim-majority, and the ban includes several other Muslim-majority and Latin American nations, among others. These bans, and the administration’s reversal of a range of humanitarian protections, do nothing to make our country secure, but rather undermine our national security and arbitrarily target those in need of refuge. The United States used to serve as a beacon of hope. But this administration continues to set one dangerous precedent after another. We are becoming a much more closed nation – and consequently, a weaker one.”

RCUSA urges our elected leaders to publicly oppose this remarkably more discriminatory, unjust, and harmful travel ban – and demand that the administration rescind it immediately.

A summary of the travel ban is available here. RCUSA’s previous statement on the administration’s June 4th travel ban is available here.

Media contact: Jen Reeves, jreeves@rcusa.org 

RCUSA is a diverse coalition advocating for just and humane laws and policies, and the promotion of dialogue and communication among government, civil society, and those who need protection and welcome. Individual RCUSA members do not all address all refugee-related issues, nor do all individual members approach common refugee-related issues identically.

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