This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh is an active member.
On June 4, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation, “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.” The proclamation includes a country-by-country list of restrictions and exceptions.
The proclamation:
- Fully restricts and limits the entry of nationals of the following 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen; and
- Partially restricts and limits the entry of nationals of the following 7 countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
“These restrictions distinguish between, but apply to both, the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants,” the proclamation states. The restrictions, which were opposed by immigration advocacy organizations, do not apply to lawful permanent residents and certain other categories, such as athletes coming to compete in major sporting events (e.g., the World Cup), diplomats and those granted asylum or refugee status. Kelli Stump, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said that the restrictions “prevent the best and brightest from contributing to our innovation, and harm U.S. businesses that are understaffed and may have to close because they cannot employ the already vetted and approved foreign workers.”
