CAIR-Chicago Denounces Expanded Travel Ban, Warns of Dangerous Return to the 2017 “Muslim Ban”
- For Immediate Release and Distribution -
Photo by Yuri Gripas/Reuters
(CHICAGO, IL, 12/17/25) – The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, denounces the Trump administration’s latest expansion of its 2025 travel ban that will go into effect on January 1, 2026. The update adds seven new countries — Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Syria — to the list of fully barred nations, blocks entry for individuals traveling with Palestinian Authority-issued documents, and removes prior protections that allowed U.S. citizens to reunite with immediate family members from affected countries.
This expansion also imposes partial entry restrictions on nationals from Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, creating sweeping limitations on lawful travel and family reunification.
“Banning nonimmigrant visas is already deeply harmful,” said Heena Musabji, Legal Director of CAIR-Chicago. “But restricting immigrant visas is entirely unacceptable. Families are being blocked from reuniting, and lawful pathways to safety and permanent residency are being cut off. This policy inflicts real harm on people who have done nothing wrong.”
Chicago is home to the largest Palestinian diaspora in the United States, and this expansion will have a profound impact on local families. In addition, significant Syrian, Afghan, and broader refugee communities across the city will face heightened obstacles to travel, immigration, and family reunification, echoing the confusion and fear seen during the 2017 Muslim Ban era.
The administration’s own explanation highlights the inconsistency of the policy. The White House cited threats in the West Bank and Gaza and claimed the travel restrictions are tied to the deaths of American citizens, while Palestinian Americans killed abroad have received no protection or justice and the State Department has effectively abandoned lawful evacuation and support for at-risk Palestinian families.
Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago said, “This is not about security. It is about targeting people based on nationality and political identity, and it will devastate families across Chicago and the country. Stephen Miller, a far-right ideologue with a problematic track record of undermining our constitutional values, seems to have been given a carte blanche to do as he may—and that is dangerous for America and the world”.
In response to the first 2017-era Muslim Ban, CAIR-Chicago launched TAPUS.org (Travelers Assistance Project) — a rapid-response network of volunteer pro bono attorneys on the ground at O’Hare and Midway airports to assist travelers detained, questioned, or separated from loved ones upon arrival. That program remains active today and is ready to help anyone affected by the expanded ban.
We urge anyone impacted by these bans or harmful immigration enforcement operations to reach out for legal support and solidarity:
CAIR‑Chicago Know Your Rights portal: cairchicago.org/protectingyourrights
Travelers Assistance Project (24/7): register your flight at TAPUS.org BEFORE travel
Immigration support: cairchicago.org/get-immigration-help
Asylum support: cairchicago.org/get-asylum-help
CAIR-Chicago’s mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.
CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com | Hafsa Haider, Communications Director of CAIR-Chicago, 561-317-7509, hhaider@cair.com
CAIR-Chicago’s Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter (X) - YouTube - Subscribe