President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on June 4, reinstating a travel ban targeting immigrants and nonimmigrants from 12 countries. The list includes Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additionally, the order imposes visa restrictions on citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The administration argues that the directive is essential to protect national security and prevent the entry of individuals who may pose a threat. Trump pointed to the June 1 antisemitic flamethrower attack in Boulder, Colorado, as justification, even though the attacker’s country, Egypt, is not on the list.
Critics Condemn Ban as Religious and Racial Discrimination
Religious liberty and human rights advocates have widely condemned the ban. Amanda Tyler of the Baptist Joint Committee called the order “dangerous and discriminatory,” accusing it of masking xenophobia under national security rhetoric. She emphasized it targets individuals based on “faith, race, and national origin.”
Tyler and others argue that the Colorado attack is a misleading justification. “Using the attack as cover is opportunistic,” she said, adding that excluding Egypt from the list highlights the order’s arbitrary nature.
Humanitarian Leaders Decry Impact on Families and Refugees
World Relief President Myal Greene expressed sorrow over the renewed restrictions, warning that it will further limit legal immigration and divide families. “Even highly vetted individuals will be blocked,” he said.
Matthew Soerens, also of World Relief, noted that many families already stuck in visa backlogs will now face even longer separations. “They’ve waited years, sometimes decades,” he said. “This ban dashes their hopes.”
Interfaith Groups Warn of Broader Religious Targeting
Interfaith Alliance President Paul Brandeis Raushenbush echoed concerns about religious discrimination. He said the ban mainly targets Muslim-majority countries and resembles Trump’s earlier “Muslim ban” repealed by President Biden. “It’s religious punishment on a global scale,” he warned.
Raushenbush stressed the ban does not address real security threats and undermines America’s identity as a multi-faith democracy.
Source:
BJC leader calls Trump’s new travel ban ‘dangerous and discriminatory’
Image: Pamela Reynoso
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