The Trump administration has announced a new travel ban that will block people from twelve countries from entering the U.S., including family members of refugees. People from an additional seven countries will face partial restrictions and a limited ability to enter the U.S., all on the basis of their nationality.

President Trump’s first travel ban, enacted in 2017, demonstrated that sweeping bans on admissions of certain groups of people are not an effective policy. It was also deemed illegal.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is deeply concerned about the humanitarian consequences of this discriminatory and harmful ban. 

Who is affected by the Trump administration’s latest travel ban?

On June 5, 2025, the Trump administration announced a new travel ban would go into effect on June 9, blocking individuals from twelve countries from entering the U.S. Nationals from seven other countries will face significant entry restrictions.

While the ban provides specific exceptions for Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders and certain persecuted minorities from Iran, it will exclude the arrival of most others from the listed countries. This includes the family members of refugees and people granted asylum who are already in the US. There is no waiver for urgent humanitarian circumstances.

This proclamation could have far-reaching impacts on the lives of many American families, including refugees, asylees and green card holders, seeking to be reunified with their loved ones.

At a time when conflicts in places like Ukraine and Sudan are displacing millions, the U.S. should be providing refuge—not closing its doors.

Wasiqullah hugs his little brother for the first time in years as he reunites with his family at the Dulles Airport in Virginia.
After years of separation, an Afghan family is finally reunited in the U.S. The Trump Administration’s latest travel ban will prevent families from this relief.
Photo: Kelsey Marden for the IRC

Which countries are affected by Trump's latest travel ban? 

The latest travel divides affected countries into two categories of restrictions:

Countries facing full suspension of entry include: Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Countries with partial restrictions and limited entry include: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

Several of these countries are on IRC’s 2025 Emergency Watchlist of countries most at risk of new or worsening humanitarian emergencies, including Sudan (#1), Myanmar (#3), Haiti (#8), Somalia (#10), Afghanistan, Chad, and Yemen.

A Sudanese mother holds her young child at a medical facility in Sudan.
Families from Sudan—the largest humanitarian crisis on record—will be banned from entering the U.S. under the latest travel ban.
Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Refugee resettlement is safe and benefits the U.S. economy

At a moment when the international community faces the largest refugee crisis on record, the need for resettlement and other pathways to safety is great. The ban will have far-reaching impacts on the lives of many, both in the U.S. and around the world. It is a further retreat from American values, following on the heels of the Executive Order indefinitely halting refugee resettlement in the U.S.

Refugees undergo the most rigorous security vetting of any group entering the U.S., making refugee resettlement one of the safest immigration pathways.

Refugees also actively benefit the U.S. economy, contributing $581 billion in tax revenue between 2005–2019. Refugees also boast high rates of entrepreneurship and play a crucial role in filling labor gaps in fields like manufacturing, health care and transportation.

Learn more about how refugees strengthen the U.S. economy.

How can I help refugees and other newcomers?

Welcoming refugees strengthens the U.S.’s role as a global leader, benefits the economy and provides a critical pathway to safety to families facing some of the toughest challenges imaginable.

The IRC remains steadfast in our commitment to serve refugees, asylum seekers and other newcomers to America, including our clients in the U.S. whose loved ones will be excluded under this order. That includes providing them with accurate information, legal representation, workforce development and other support they need to thrive and continue to contribute to their new communities.

Join the IRC in our fight to help the world’s most vulnerable survive, recover and rebuild their lives.

Donate: Financial contributions are key for trusted organizations like the IRC, which deliver critical services to refugees in the U.S. and crisis-affected countries around the world. Your donation can help people survive, recover and rebuild their lives.

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