On June 4, 2025, Trump signed a new Executive Order reintroducing and expanding the controversial travel ban first implemented in 2017. This latest directive targets 19 countries, mostly in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, and is scheduled to take effect on June 9, 2025.
The policy has already drawn criticism from immigration advocates and civil rights groups, who warn that it revives discriminatory practices under the pretext of national security — a rationale that the Supreme Court upheld in Trump v. Hawaii, 585 U.S. ___ (2018). That 5–4 ruling allowed a prior version of the ban to stand, despite serious concerns about religious and racial bias.
Despite the order’s sweeping language, it includes key exemptions for family-based immigration and international adoptions, which offer some relief for affected families.
The new order imposes a complete entry ban on citizens of these 12 countries:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
In addition to the full bans above, seven countries face targeted restrictions under the 2025 Executive Order. These do not completely bar entry but impose selective limitations on certain visa categories:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
The partial bans are country-specific and visa-specific. Tourist and business (B1/B2) visas are suspended for some nationalities (e.g., Cuba and Sierra Leone). Employment-based and diversity visa categories are blocked in others (e.g., Togo and Turkmenistan). For Venezuela, the restrictions focus on government officials and their families, while most ordinary travelers remain eligible for entry — at least on paper.
The administration cites “national security failures” such as visa overstays and lack of data-sharing by foreign governments — the same kinds of concerns it previously used to justify earlier bans. Critics argue that these concerns are vague and disproportionately target countries with fragile governments or majority-Muslim populations.
Importantly, the Executive Order provides exemptions for several categories of travelers — including vulnerable children and close relatives of U.S. citizens. The travel ban does not apply to spouses, children (including stepchildren and adopted children), and parents (in many cases) of U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
The 2025 ban comes in the shadow of the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Hawaii, 585 U.S. 667 (2018). In that case, the Court upheld the third iteration of Trump’s original travel ban, ruling that it was a lawful exercise of presidential authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, emphasized the president’s broad discretion over immigration and deferred heavily to national security justifications, even while acknowledging the policy’s controversial roots.
Dissenting, in the opinion written by Justice Sotomayor, likened the decision to Korematsu v. United States, the notorious case that upheld Japanese-American internment during WWII. Korematsu v. United States ,323 U.S. 214 (1944). They warned that rubber-stamping immigration bans based on identity, rather than evidence, risks grave constitutional harms.
It is unclear whether that precedent will control the impact of the 2025 ban, and whether it will benefit from the legal groundwork laid seven years earlier.
If you or your family may be affected — whether by adoption, marriage, or parental sponsorship, you should act swiftly to:
- Review all visa statuses and expiration dates
- Submit supporting documentation early
- Request expedited processing if eligible
- Consult a qualified immigration attorney about waivers or exemption categories
Trump’s 2025 travel ban may be cloaked in the language of national security, but its real-world consequences are deeply personal — especially for families hoping to reunite or bring home a child through adoption. While exemptions exist, the burden of proof remains on families, and the climate of uncertainty is once again creating fear for many.