Nine things to know about the 2025 travel ban in Minnesota

On June 5, the Trump Administration announced a new travel ban, denying entry to the United States for people from 12 countries. The list includes nations with significant populations and communities in Minnesota, such as Somalia, Myanmar, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Sudan. 

Another seven nations, including Laos and Venezuela, face partial travel restrictions.

On June 26, Sahan Journal invited a pair of panelists to join us for a live, hour-long conversation to break down what the travel ban means for Minnesota residents and how it’s already affecting immigrant communities. Those local experts:

• Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR–MN)
• Matthew Webster, senior immigration attorney, Fredrikson & Byron P.A.

Here are 9 takeaways from the conversation.

Is the 2025 travel ban the same policy as President Trump enacted during his first administration? 

Not exactly. The 2025 travel ban functions differently in some ways from the 2017 travel ban. This version, Matthew Webster explains, is actually a  “visa ban.” That means, “it applies to individuals from certain countries who were outside of the U.S. and not issued a valid visa as of June 9,” Webster explains.

Who’s affected by the full travel ban vs. the ‘partial’ travel ban? 

The 2025 travel ban suspends all visas for people from the following countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Seven nations are under a partial ban: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. At this point, the “partial ban” allows visas for visitors, students, and people participating in educational, work and exchange programs, but does not provide a pathway to permanent residency. 

How does the 2025 travel ban work for immigrants who hold a U.S. Permanent Resident Card (often called a ‘green card’)?

A person who holds a green card but comes from a full-travel-ban country can return to the United States if they travel to a banned country. “So someone with a green card is not impacted by this, but their loved ones might be,” Webster states. The travel ban does not affect lawful permanent residents of the United States. 

Does the 2025 travel ban affect people who may hold passports from two different countries?

Webster says dual citizens can be exempt from the new travel ban if they carry a citizenship from a nation that’s not banned. For example, as of June 2025, a citizen of both Somalia and Kenya would be able to enter the United States if they traveled under their Kenyan passport — but Webster noted that the administration may attempt to change entry guidelines further.

How is the 2025 travel ban affecting travel, more broadly, in Minnesota’s immigrant communities?  

Jaylani says misinformation about the ban, spread on social media, has created a significant fear of travel among immigrant communities — and that includes U.S. citizens. “We want allies to have correct information and to help people,” Jaylani reminds Minnesotans. Regardless of your immigrant status, he recommends community members and allies read trusted news sources and consult with legal professionals when researching their travel options.

Are international students affected by the new travel ban? 

Webster says that the travel ban affects international students from the countries who are on the new banned list. International students in Minnesota, he adds, contribute millions of dollars to the local economies that surround their academic institutions. Small, rural, and state colleges often rely heavily on the tuition payments of international students to fund the campus.

How might the new travel ban affect medical care in Minnesota?

Webster says the travel ban is currently delaying the arrival of medical professionals, like fellows and residents, who had arrangements to join hospitals and medical practices in Minnesota. “Those people were probably already on shifts, already scheduled to be assisting us patients in need of life-saving medical care,” Webster explains.

There are rumors flying about how the 2025 travel ban will affect the 2026 FIFA World Cup (and the 2028 Olympics). What’s actually going on? 

According to the Trump rules, athletes, coaches, and immediate family members from banned countries will still be able to enter the U.S. for the  World Cup and Olympics. But fans will not. Jaylani says this restriction defeats the purpose of these global events: using sport to build bridges between international communities. The ban, he adds, will negatively impact the economies of host cities in the U.S. 

What can people in Minnesota do to change the 2025 travel ban?

Jaylani encourages Americans to challenge political policies that are “scapegoating Muslims, targeting Black people, whether domestically or foreign from Africa, doubling down on those racist, xenophobic policies.” 

Minnesotans, Jaylani adds, should remind themselves “there is hope in this country, and we just need to have real conversations with real people” in order to build empathy with one another. 

Disclosure: For this story, Sahan newsroom staff used artificial intelligence to help us quickly transcribe audio from the video livestream and compile an outline of key takeaways. A Sahan reporter and editor took these starting materials to draft the list, above. Using AI allowed us to efficiently adapt our live video interview into a story for Sahan’s website.

You can watch a recording of the livestream below: