BREAKING: Trump Revives Muslim Ban

His new ban is even more expansive and cruel than his previous one, and it's forthcoming economic harm will further devastate working people

Trump’s newly revived Muslim Ban isn’t just a return to the cruelty of his first term—it’s an escalation. While the earlier version of this policy tried (and failed) to hide behind ambiguous language, this one dispenses with the pretense altogether. It names names. It bans nations. And in doing so, it makes abundantly clear that Trump’s target remains the same: Black and brown, Muslim-majority countries that pose no credible national security threat—but that he deems “undesirable.”

This policy is not only cruel and ineffective, it’s also extremely expensive and has long term devastating consequences on our economy. As a human rights lawyer who went to law school specifically to fight for the dignity and rights of all people, I am not sitting idle while he attempts—once again—to dismantle the very Republic he swore to defend. Let’s Address This.

Who Is Banned?

As you, my readers know, I am an American Muslim. I am an immigrant. I am a person of color. I say all that to point out that I am likely not Donald Trump’s favorite person. And as we look at the list of who Trump is banning, it’s clear that he’s targeting many people who look like me, on purpose. Trump’s new Muslim Ban Executive Order states:

I have determined to fully restrict and limit 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. These restrictions distinguish between, but apply to both, the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants.

(g) I have determined to partially restrict and limit 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.

As a quick aside, “Burma” is a name that hasn’t been used since 1989—it’s Myanmar now. Remarkable how a man upset that people won’t call it the “Gulf of America” himself insists on using a name nearly four decades out of date. In any case, what do you notice about the list of banned nations? Every single one is a majority-Black or majority-brown country. Most are Muslim-majority. And none of them are home to Trump-owned properties. And despite Trump citing the attack by an extremist on Jewish people in Boulder, CO last week as a reason for this ban, Egypt—the national origin of the extremist who attacked Jewish people last week—is not on the list.

This isn’t immigration policy. It’s white nationalist pandering dressed up in the language of “security.”

Why Is Trump Banning These Nations?

Trump claims he is banning these nations for national security purposes. But this claim and rationale falls apart immediately under the most basic scrutiny. First, he provides no meaningful evidence of any mass plot of violence, let alone actual acts of violence, from any of these nations towards the United States. But the lack of facts and evidence has never prevented Trump before from claiming something was true.

Worse still, this ban targets nations supposedly for having “high visa overstay rates.” Again, this makes no sense. There’s no consideration for the many who lawfully apply for asylum after overstaying—a process protected under international and U.S. law. There’s no consideration for those who do return home before their visas expire. And there’s absolutely no data suggesting these overstay rates are tied to any increase in violence or national security risks. So what exactly is being solved here?

The answer is nothing. Because this isn’t about solving a problem—it’s about punishing entire populations. It’s collective punishment, which is both morally abhorrent and legally indefensible. It’s also grossly ineffective. The real goal is to establish arbitrary, undefined standards of “undesirability,” so that mass deportations, visa denials, and unchecked discrimination can become normalized.

But the cruelty doesn’t stop there.

Trump has continued to suspend the U.S. refugee resettlement program from Afghanistan—while enacting a refugee program from South Africa for alleged “white genocide.” This is, of course, a made up term and claim without a shred of evidence or facts. Meanwhile, the 1,660 Afghan refugees had already passed every security and vetting hurdle the U.S. government requires—yet Trump is banning them. These are not faceless names. These are human beings—translators who risked their lives to support American troops, children awaiting reunification with their families, even U.S. citizens abandoned and stranded abroad.

Trump’s message to the world couldn’t be clearer: Support the United States at your own peril. When it’s convenient, we will exploit your labor, loyalty, and life—and then discard you when it is time for us to uphold our end of the bargain. The hypocrisy is particularly galling considering this is the same Trump who forced the release of 5,000 Taliban fighters during his last term—for absolutely nothing in return.

The Growing Economic Harm

Finally, do you have $12.5 billion to spare? Apparently Donald Trump thinks you do. Even prior to this cruel travel ban, Trump’s unhinged policies on tariffs, sending ICE to attack immigrants and US citizens perceived to be immigrants, and insulting every close American ally, has caused irreparable harm to the travel and tourism industry. According to research conducted by the The World Travel & Tourism Council:

The U.S. is on track to lose a staggering $12.5BN in international visitor spending this year. Notably, international visitor spending to the U.S. is projected to fall to just under $169BN this year, down from $181BN in 2024. This significant shortfall represents a 22.5% decline compared to the previous peak. The loss represents a direct blow to the U.S. economy overall, impacting communities, jobs, and businesses from coast to coast. The U.S. is the only country among 184 economies analysed by WTTC and Oxford Economics, forecast to see international visitor spending decline in 2025.

As if the harm caused by Trump’s tariffs wasn’t enough, Trump continues to find new ways to harm working people. Yes, America is #1 alright, in fact we are alone globally in declining vital tourism spend. And with this new Muslim ban, that $12.5 billion lost will only dramatically increase. This will continue to harm small businesses and any organization that directly or indirectly relies on the travel and tourism industry to survive. All for the sake of bigotry and white nationalism.

Conclusion

As an American Muslim and a human rights lawyer, this is precisely why I went to law school—to challenge systems of oppression and expose their illegality before they become irreversible.

So what can we do?

We organize. We speak out. We vote—and we support candidates funded by people, not by corporations. But we also educate, and that’s why I write. That’s why I publish. That’s why I will continue to shine a light on every attempt to undermine our rights and values, no matter who is in power.

But I cannot do this alone.

If you believe in this fight for human rights, in justice, and in protecting our most vulnerable neighbors, I ask you to support this work. Subscribe below. Share this article. Talk to your friends, your family, your communities. Support small businesses hardest hit by these draconian bans. Support independent writers and advocates that speaks truth to power. As I wrote earlier this week, boycotts against bad actors work, as do collective support of good actors. So, invest in and support those good actors with your time, your trust, and your resources.

This isn’t just about Muslims. Or immigrants. Or refugees. It’s about upholding foundational human rights for all people. And we cannot afford to sit idle or stay silent.