SIREN Condemns Trump’s Racist Travel Ban

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 June 6, 2025 

San Jose, CA - President Trump has brought back and expanded his earlier travel bans, claiming national security reasons. The new ban blocks both immigrant and non-immigrant visas for people from countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, and others. It also restricts certain types of visas (such as tourist and student visas) for people from countries like Cuba, Venezuela, and Togo.  

 "This action is another example of how this Administration vilifies communities that do not look like the President,” said Huy Tran, SIREN’s Executive Director. “This Administration has permitted entry to the Tate Brothers, accused sex traffickers and rapists, and granted refugee status to wealthy Afrikaners who face no persecution, but claims that we should be afraid of people from Muslim and African nations. The President’s last FBI Director reported that white supremacy was the greatest terrorism threat in America. Instead of addressing this, the President seeks to isolate us from the world. This is not about national security; this is racism and Islamophobia.” 

While certain individuals are exempt from the new travel ban—including immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders, and those granted a national interest waiver—the policy disproportionately targets nationals from Muslim-majority and African countries. This ban, rooted in discriminatory and exclusionary motives, will prevent countless families from reuniting and pursuing safety and opportunity in the United States. Many of those affected are fleeing poverty, violence, and war, yet the administration’s response is marked by cruelty rather than compassion. 

The ban is scheduled to take effect at 12:01 AM on June 9. 

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SIREN is a nonprofit organization and a vehicle for low-income immigrants and refugees in California—to be their own agents for change. We do this through community education and organizing, leadership development, legal services, policy advocacy, and civic engagement.   

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