March 8, 2025

Issue:

Urgent Travel Advisory for Foreign Nationals

Memo

Overview

Following recent reports from Reuters and The New York Times that President Trump may issue travel bans against foreign nationals from not-yet-disclosed countries as soon as Tuesday, March 11, 2025—Muslim Advocates is issuing an urgent travel advisory for people who may be impacted by these bans. Although it’s not yet publicly known which countries’ nationals may be impacted, the news coverage suggests that nationals of countries whom President Trump, during his prior term, had sought to ban or had considered banning (on any basis, including in connection with refugee admissions) may be impacted. Those countries include: Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela, and Yemen. On the campaign trail ahead of the recent elections, President Trump expressed his intention, if elected, to include Palestinians from Gaza as part of the next set of bans. And the recent news coverage indicates that Afghans, Cubans, and Pakistanis may also be included in forthcoming bans.

Right now it’s not publicly known what the impacts of any new bans may be on given categories of people, spanning non-immigrant visa-holders, immigrant visa-holders, and/or asylees and refugees. (Non-immigrant visas are visas that allow temporary presence in the U.S. for a given purpose, like tourism, studying, or working. Immigrant visas allow for ongoing/indefinite presence in the U.S. and are also referred to as green cards or Lawful Permanent Residency. Status as an asylee or refugee allows for ongoing/indefinite presence in the U.S. and the ability to obtain Lawful Permanent Residency).

The guidance below doesn’t constitute legal advice, and it aims to err on the side of caution, given all that’s unknown right now. Once any new travel bans are issued, we’ll share related guidance as quickly as we can.

At the end of this guidance is a list of resources that may be useful to potentially impacted people and their loved ones, spanning resources concerning psychosocial support, attorney-referral directories and possibilities, and rights-awareness content.

Like so many of you, we’re outraged by the breadth and depth of harm that this administration is pursuing based on its white supremacist, Christian nationalist agenda—including through the specter of new and expanded Muslim and African bans. We draw courage from knowing that our communities and partners have weathered many challenges like the ones the current climate presents. None of us are in this alone, and Muslim Advocates and its partners are committed to supporting and defending impacted communities. Together, as we all navigate the current climate, let’s never lose sight of the society we want and have been building towards: a society that promotes belonging, safety, and well-being for everyone.  

Guidance

If you’re a foreign national with a valid visa or valid refugee/asylee travel document who is outside the U.S., consider: 

  • Seeking entry into the U.S. as soon as possible: before Tuesday, March 11, 2025;
  • Talking as soon as possible with a qualified and reputable attorney, so you can get advice about how to navigate your encounter with U.S. Customs and Border Protection when you seek to enter the U.S., including advice concerning your electronic devices and social media; and
  • Accessing the free, online, know-your-rights resource libraries flagged at the end of this post—as soon as possible and ahead of your travel.      

If you’re a foreign national who’s already present in the U.S., consider:

  • Avoiding international travel until related, potential  risks become clearer and you can receive related, individualized, pre-travel guidance from a competent attorney. 
  • Talking as soon as possible with a qualified and reputable attorney:
    • Before any unavoidable international travel, so you can get advice about how to navigate your interactions with U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon your attempt to re-enter, including advice concerning the validity of your travel document and advice about your electronic devices and social media;
    • Before submitting any applications to renew or change your immigration status; and
    • About any pending or concluded scrutiny, investigations, charges, or proceedings relating to your speech and expression and involving a school you’ve attended, your employer(s), and/or any law enforcement agency/ies.

If you’re a foreign national with a valid visa or valid refugee/asylee travel document who cannot avoid international travel, then consider:

  • Returning to the United States as soon as possible: ideally, before Tuesday, March 11, 2025;
  • Traveling with: 
    • A DHS Form G-28 that’s signed by an attorney capable of representing you in your interactions with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in case CBP allows you to contact them or otherwise might be more inclined to treat you properly just because you have a lawyer;
    • An advocacy letter from an attorney that you can present to CBP, laying out why CBP should allow you to re-enter the U.S.;
    • Your attorney’s contact information; and 
    • The contact information of loved ones who have your passport and visa numbers and your flight and travel details;
  • Accessing the free, online, know-your-rights resource libraries flagged at the end of this post—as soon as possible and ahead of your unavoidable travel. 

 

Resources

Potential resources and/or referrals for psychosocial support:

Potential resources and/or referrals for connecting with qualified attorneys for guidance ahead of any unavoidable international travel:

Rights-awareness content from:

 

 

March 8, 2025 2:15 pm

Memo