Presidential Entry Restrictions (Travel Bans)

Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act lets the President suspend the entry of any foreigners or class of foreigners whose entry the President finds would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, for as long as the President deems necessary. Presidents of both parties have used it, for example to bar human rights abusers, people subject to sanctions, and, in 2024, to limit asylum claims at the southern border.

In 2017 President Trump used it to bar entry from several mostly Muslim-majority countries, and after lower courts blocked earlier versions, the Supreme Court upheld the third version 5 to 4 in Trump v. Hawaii on June 26, 2018, holding that the law gives the President broad discretion. In June 2025 a new proclamation restricted travel from 19 countries, and a December 2025 proclamation expanded it, effective January 1, 2026, to 19 countries with a full suspension and 20 with partial limits, plus Palestinian Authority travel documents. Green card holders and some others are exempt.

Related restrictions have followed: in January 2026 the State Department paused immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries over public charge concerns, a policy a federal court vacated in August 2026, and agencies paused other benefits for nationals of the listed countries. Supporters say the bans address countries with weak vetting and security risks. Critics say they punish entire nationalities, separate families, and amount to discrimination, and they question whether Congress intended such sweeping power.