12/18/2025
On December 16 the Trump Administration issued another proclamation which impacts immigrant Muslim community members.
The new proclamation expands the June 2025 Travel Ban, further restricting visas and entry to the United States for individuals from certain countries. The new restrictions will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Details of the updated ban
- Bar people outside the United States who do not have a valid visa from entering the U.S.
- Fully prohibit most people from entering or seeking to enter the United States from the following 20 countries: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, as well as anyone using documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority (PA).
- Partially prohibits entry by immigrants and certain classes of nonimmigrant visas for people from the following nineteen (19) countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The ban applies to people from the identified countries who do not already have visas.
Exemptions
There are some people who are exempt from the ban. However, this proclamation reduced these categories from the previous ban.
Those who are exempt from the ban are:
- people who have a valid visa
- green card holders (lawful permanent residents)
- people with dual citizenship who are traveling on the passport of a country not listed in the Proclamation
- people traveling on NATO or diplomatic visas
- athletes, coaches, and people part of athletic support teams
- People traveling on Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs)
- people whose travel the Secretary of State finds is in the national interest
Support from CAIR-WA
If you have specific concerns about your immigration case, or how any of the new announcements affect your individual case, please contact CAIR-WA at (206) 367-4081 or cairwa.org/gethelp to schedule a legal consultation. Our team is here to support you, answer questions, and ensure you receive accurate, individualized guidance.
We remain committed to protecting the rights, safety, and dignity of our community.
Please stay connected with us for further updates.