Owais Crawford
In January 2017, US President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13769, titled Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States, which barred the entry of Syrian refugees and suspended the entry of individuals from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. This order, labelled the Muslim ban by critics, sparked protests and caused chaos at airports. Judges in several states blocked the initial ban, claiming that it targeted Muslim countries and discriminated against people based on their nationality, violating US immigration law. Trump's administration is now considering a new travel ban that could affect citizens from up to 43 countries, with 11 countries in the red category to be entirely barred from entering the US.
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What You'll Learn
Trump's 2017 travel ban
On January 27, 2017, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13769, titled "Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States". The order banned the entry of Syrian refugees and temporarily suspended the entry of individuals from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. This move was widely viewed as an effort to impose a "total and complete ban" on Muslim immigration to America, as these countries all had predominantly Muslim populations.
The 2017 travel ban was a series of executive actions that restricted entry into the United States by certain foreign nationals. In addition, North Korea was the only country targeted with a reverse travel ban, prohibiting American citizens from travelling there. The ban sparked protests across the country and caused chaos at airports, with international passengers arriving with no warning of the new restrictions.
Within days, multiple federal judges blocked the ban from taking effect, claiming that it targeted Muslim-majority countries and discriminated against people based on their nationality without justification, thus violating US immigration law. A nationwide injunction was affirmed on February 9, 2017, and a narrower version of the ban was issued that barred travellers from specified nations who lacked close relatives in the US or approved refugee status.
On March 6, 2017, a second and revised travel ban was issued, rescinding the original. This ban targeted people from six majority-Muslim countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) for 90 days and exempted those with visas and green cards. It also suspended refugee resettlement for 120 days and lowered the cap for refugee admissions for the 2017 fiscal year from 110,000 to 50,000. This second ban was also blocked before it took effect on constitutional grounds by the Hawaii District Court on March 15, 2017.
On September 24, 2017, a third travel ban was issued, replacing the second one. This ban targeted certain nationals of Venezuela, North Korea, and six majority-Muslim countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and Chad).
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The Muslim ban
The "Muslim Ban" refers to a series of executive orders by the Trump administration that restricted entry into the United States by certain foreign nationals from predominantly Muslim countries. The ban was first introduced through Executive Order 13769, titled "Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States," signed on January 27, 2017, a week after Trump took office. The order targeted seven Muslim-majority nations: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. It barred the entry of Syrian refugees and temporarily suspended the entry of individuals from the other six countries. This initial ban sparked protests and was blocked by judges in several states, who claimed it targeted Muslim countries and discriminated against people based on their nationality without justification, violating US immigration law.
The Trump administration issued a second, revised travel ban through Executive Order 13780 on March 6, 2017, which rescinded the original ban. This second ban targeted six majority-Muslim countries, excluding Iraq. It was also challenged in court, with a federal judge in Hawaii blocking it before it took effect. Despite these legal challenges, the Supreme Court allowed the government to implement a narrowed portion of the ban, except for those with "bona fide relationships" in the US.
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Chaos at airports
In January 2017, US President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13769, titled "Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States". The order, which was labelled the "Muslim ban" by Trump himself, his aides, and critics, barred the entry of Syrian refugees and temporarily suspended the entry of individuals from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. This order triggered chaos at airports and sparked protests across the country.
The travel ban caused significant disruption at airports, with some people already having landed in the United States only to learn that they were barred from entry. The ban also led to the detention of two Iraqi individuals at JFK airport, who were threatened with deportation as the executive order was issued while they were travelling to the US. This incident resulted in the Darweesh v. Trump case, where a New York federal judge granted a nationwide temporary injunction, blocking the deportation of all people stranded in US airports under Trump's new Muslim ban.
Protests erupted nationwide in response to the discriminatory nature of the ban, which targeted Muslim-majority nations. Judges in several states quickly blocked the initial ban, citing discrimination against the countries on the list and violations of US immigration law. Lower courts, such as in Washington v. Trump, also blocked the executive order within a week of it going into effect. The Supreme Court later allowed a revised version of the ban, which continued to restrict entry for citizens from Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
In March 2025, reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering reinstating the controversial travel ban, potentially impacting up to 43 countries. The internal memo categorized countries into three tiers: red, orange, and yellow. Citizens from 11 countries in the "red" category, including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, North Korea, and Syria, would be entirely barred from entering the US. The orange category would affect immigrant, tourist, and student visas, while the yellow category would have 60 days to address administrative concerns.
The potential reinstatement of the travel ban has sparked concerns about airport chaos and an international backlash, similar to what occurred during Trump's first presidency. The impact of the travel ban extends beyond airport disruptions, as it has been criticized for being discriminatory towards Muslim-majority nations and undermining US immigration law.
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Protests and legal challenges
Protests erupted at airports following the Trump travel ban, with thousands of people gathering at various airports in the United States and around the world. The protests centred on the ban's apparent discrimination against Muslims, with demonstrators chanting, "Say it loud, say it clear, Muslims are welcome here" and "No ban, no wall, America is for us all".
The executive order, signed by Donald Trump, suspended the entire US refugee admissions system for 120 days, suspended the Syrian refugee program indefinitely, and banned entry to the US to people from seven majority-Muslim countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – for 90 days. This prompted a series of legal challenges, with judges in several states blocking the initial ban, claiming that it targeted Muslim countries and discriminated against people based on their nationality without justification, violating US immigration law.
In New York, Darweesh v. Trump was filed on behalf of two Iraqi IRAP clients who were detained at JFK airport and threatened with deportation because the executive order was issued while they were travelling to the US. The court blocked deportations under the executive order, leading to the release of approximately 2,000 people. A federal judge in New York also granted the Darweesh plaintiffs' request for a nationwide temporary injunction, blocking the deportation of all people stranded in US airports under Trump's new Muslim ban. Four other courts also weighed in, favouring the Darweesh court ruling.
In Washington, the executive order was blocked by Washington v. Trump on February 3, 2017, within a week of it going into effect. The second executive order travel ban and refugee ban were also blocked by Hawaii v. Trump on March 15, 2017, before they took effect on constitutional grounds. The Supreme Court allowed the government to implement the travel ban and refugee ban, with exceptions for those with "bona fide relationships".
In addition to the protests and legal challenges, there was also a backlash from celebrities and public figures. Former United States President Barack Obama publicly stated that he disagreed with the travel ban, while celebrities such as Morgan Freeman, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bette Midler, Stephen Colbert, and Mia Farrow expressed their opposition to the ban on social media.
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Travel ban 2.0
In March 2025, the Trump administration was reportedly considering a new travel ban, referred to as "Trump 2.0 Travel Ban" or "Travel Ban 2.0", which could affect citizens from up to 43 countries. This follows through on Trump's campaign promise to "restore the travel ban", which was revoked by President Joe Biden in 2021.
The proposed ban includes different levels of restrictions, which appear to be calculated to deal with expected legal challenges or implementation challenges. An internal memo, obtained and reviewed by the New York Times and Reuters, suggests that the countries on the list would be sorted into three different tiers: red, orange, and yellow. The "red" list of 11 countries includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. Citizens from these countries would be barred from entering the United States. The "orange" list of 10 countries includes Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan, and would face partial suspensions impacting tourist and student visas, with some exceptions. The third group includes 26 countries, such as Belarus, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, which would be considered for a partial suspension.
The new ban is expected to have significant implications for global mobility, international collaboration, and the United States. It is a continuation of Trump's immigration policies, which he claims are aimed at protecting national security and public safety. However, critics argue that an anti-Islamic principle underlies Trump's politics, as most of the affected countries are Muslim-majority nations.
The Trump administration has not publicly commented on the reported memo, and it is unclear when the official list will be issued.
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Frequently asked questions
The Trump travel ban was a series of executive actions taken by U.S. President Donald Trump that restricted entry into the United States by certain foreign nationals, beginning with Executive Order 13769, issued on January 27, 2017. It was labelled a "Muslim ban" by Trump, his aides, and critics, as it mostly impacted countries with predominantly Muslim populations.
The travel ban caused chaos at airports and sparked protests across the U.S. Judges in several states blocked the initial ban, claiming it targeted Muslim countries and discriminated against people based on nationality without justification, violating U.S. immigration law.
The original travel ban applied to seven majority-Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. The second and revised ban removed Iraq from the list. North Korea was the only country targeted with a reverse travel ban, prohibiting American citizens from travelling there.
On January 20, 2021, newly inaugurated President Joe Biden revoked the Trump travel bans, except for the reverse travel ban on North Korea. However, as of March 2025, the Trump administration is considering reinstating the travel ban, with reports suggesting up to 43 countries could be affected.
