In War-Torn Nations, Trump’s Travel Ban Brings a New Hardship

In the past few years, the people of Myanmar have been subjected to an unrelenting series of crises. From a military takeover and ongoing civil conflict to forced military service, aerial attacks, and a devastating earthquake, the country has faced one hardship after another. Adding to these struggles, a new blow was delivered on Thursday when former U.S. President Donald Trump signed a sweeping travel ban that includes Myanmar among the targeted nations.

This latest executive order is aimed at halting immigration from countries that Mr. Trump believes harbor “significant terrorist activity,” among other concerns. Announced during a press briefing on Wednesday evening in Washington, the restrictions are scheduled to come into effect on Monday. The countries affected include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Several of these nations have been torn apart by years of war or authoritarian governance. In both cases, the consequences are the same: desperate individuals fleeing persecution, conflict, or poverty will now find the door to the United States firmly closed.

In addition to the 11 countries mentioned, nationals from seven other nations — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela — are now barred from obtaining tourist and student visas. Furthermore, they are ineligible to apply for permanent residency in the United States under the new directive.

“We must protect our borders from those who intend to harm our country,” Mr. Trump stated in a social media post shortly after announcing the ban.

For many, the announcement came as a shocking and deeply personal blow. Ko Min Nwe, a 35-year-old accountant from Myanmar who recently won a slot in the U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery — a rare opportunity that would have led to a green card next year — described his feelings upon hearing the news. “The moment I woke up, it was like the world collapsed,” he said. “As a Burmese citizen, I’m already used to discrimination everywhere I go. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and now it feels like it’s been cruelly snatched away.”

The Trump administration has justified the new immigration restrictions by citing various reasons: the failure of certain countries to properly vet travelers, histories of visa overstays by their citizens, and an unwillingness to accept the return of nationals who are deported. However, critics argue that these policies overwhelmingly affect vulnerable populations — people who are trying to escape war zones, human rights abuses, and extreme poverty in search of safety and opportunity.

“This isn’t about safeguarding the nation,” said Abby Maxman, President of Oxfam America, an organization that focuses on addressing poverty and inequality. “This is about division, fear-mongering, and turning away communities in desperate need of protection.”

There are some exceptions built into the new travel regulations. Afghan nationals who worked alongside American forces as translators or aides prior to the 2021 withdrawal are still eligible for special visas. U.S. green card holders are not impacted by the order. In addition, athletes attending major sporting events, along with their teams and support staff, are exempt. The ban also makes allowances for adoptions from the listed countries.

This is not the first time Mr. Trump has implemented such a measure. During his initial term, he introduced a series of travel bans that predominantly targeted Muslim-majority countries. These actions sparked widespread legal challenges and protests. When President Joe Biden assumed office, he reversed the bans, describing them as contrary to the values of the United States and calling them “a moral blemish on our national identity.”

Yet with Trump’s return to office, many of those controversial immigration policies have resurfaced. This has left thousands of people — some already holding visas or in the middle of the application process — in limbo.

One of them is Hashmat, an Afghan journalist who, after spending a month imprisoned by the Taliban for his reporting, was recently granted a U.S. visa. Currently in hiding, Hashmat now fears that the travel ban includes his visa category. “I spent 14 years of my life working for reputable news outlets to advocate for democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression — principles I thought America upheld,” he said. “Now, it feels like I’m being punished for believing in those ideals.”

Countries included in the travel ban have begun issuing responses. According to the White House proclamation, Somalia was included due to its lack of a centralized authority capable of effectively screening travelers and its status as a haven for extremist groups. In response, Dahir Hassan Abdi, Somalia’s ambassador to the United States, said in a statement, “Somalia values its enduring relationship with the U.S. and is open to engaging in meaningful discussions to address the concerns raised.”

Myanmar’s situation, however, is particularly dire. Since the military coup in 2021, the country has spiraled into a nationwide civil war. The military junta controls the central regions, while ethnic militias and pro-democracy forces have taken hold of the periphery. The chaos has been further exploited by criminal enterprises in border regions, which have profited from trafficking synthetic drugs, running cybercrime networks, and extracting and selling natural resources with questionable legality. Despite the chaos, there’s no substantial evidence to suggest Myanmar is exporting terrorism — certainly not on a scale that would threaten the United States.

Most Burmese immigrants who arrived in the U.S. over the past few decades did so as refugees fleeing political oppression. Significant waves of migration occurred following crackdowns on pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988 and 2007. Today, over 3.5 million people have been displaced within Myanmar’s borders due to the conflict, and millions more have sought refuge in neighboring countries like Thailand and Bangladesh.

Until recently, the U.S. was playing a role in resettling some of these refugees. A program initiated in July began moving Burmese individuals from Thai refugee camps to communities in the United States. That initiative has now stalled, following the recent policy shift. Moreover, U.S. financial assistance to Myanmar refugees in Thailand and Bangladesh has been drastically reduced. Medical professionals in the region report that the funding cuts have led to avoidable deaths, especially among infants and the elderly, who now lack access to basic care.

Between 2005 and 2015, the United Nations refugee agency reported that approximately 100,000 Burmese refugees living in Thai camps were resettled abroad, with the majority being accepted by the United States.

Today, Myanmar remains a country in disarray. Government airstrikes have devastated rural villages, and thousands have been jailed or tortured for opposing military rule. Washington has imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s top generals and their business allies, but many critics believe these actions fall short of the pressure needed to force meaningful change.

Ma Mya Thiri Lwin, a 24-year-old who had been admitted to a university in Minnesota to study computer science, is now uncertain about her future. She had joined a student-led boycott of government universities in Myanmar as a form of protest and was hopeful that studying in the U.S. would lead to a career in Silicon Valley. But with the new ban in place, her aspirations may remain unrealized.

“It feels like Myanmar is cursed,” she said upon hearing the news. “Even the United States, a country that prides itself on human rights and justice, has turned away from people like me — poor, marginalized, and desperately seeking a better life.”