Impact on Afghans, Haitians, and the Return of a Controversial Policy

Months before the travel ban was announced, it caused widespread concern among Afghans who had been promised visas for their work with the U.S. military. Refugee advocates subsequently urged the administration to make exceptions for the tens of thousands of Afghans who had either received or were slated to receive special immigrant visas for their service to the U.S. military or the U.S. Embassy during the two-decade-long war in Afghanistan.

The romantic robot musical "Maybe Happy Ending" won six awards at the Tonys, offering a timely reminder of America's history of welcoming immigrants. The musical, which originated in South Korea in 2016 and debuted on Broadway in 2024, won awards for best direction and best leading actor. The story follows two lifelike robots who develop a strong bond in a near-future Seoul. The musical has been revived multiple times in South Korea and internationally.

A recent proclamation by Trump restricts entry into the United States for nationals from a variety of 19 countries, echoing a controversial policy from his first term. The directive bans entry for nationals from twelve countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Partial bans and visa restrictions are also in place for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The ban is expected to disrupt or cancel life-saving procedures for at least a dozen children or young adults. The International Cardiac Alliance, which has sent over 100 Haitian children with serious cardiac conditions to the United States for heart surgery, has a waitlist of at least 316 Haitians needing heart surgery. Some patients are treated in hospitals in the Dominican Republic and the Cayman Islands, but there are limited surgical slots available in the United States.

Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. The executive order took effect at 12:01 am ET. Trump stated the ban was implemented because he wanted to keep "bad people out of our country." The policy is a reversal of a similar policy reversed by President Joe Biden. The ban will not affect lawful permanent residents of the United States, or nationals with dual citizenship entering with unrestricted passports. Exemptions also include Afghans who assisted the U.S. government, ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran, athletes entering for the World Cup or Olympics, and children being adopted.