South Florida Reacts to Trump’s New Travel Ban Targeting Dozens of Nations

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff   

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA

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Image Source: Dylan Buell

A new travel proclamation signed by former President Donald Trump has sparked swift backlash across South Florida, home to some of the largest immigrant communities from Venezuela, Haiti, and Cuba, three of the countries directly impacted by the sweeping executive order.

Signed on June 4 and taking effect on June 9, the proclamation halts or restricts travel to the U.S. from 19 countries, citing national security concerns and insufficient vetting infrastructure. The ban affects foreign nationals from 12 countries including Haiti, Iran, Venezuela, and several African and Middle Eastern nations while imposing partial travel restrictions on seven others, including Cuba and Laos.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava expressed strong opposition, stating the move “further divides us as Americans and harms hardworking families contributing to the essential fabric of our community.” In a statement released via social media on June 5, the mayor urged federal efforts to prioritize “comprehensive immigration reform” over divisive policies.

The ban has drawn particularly strong criticism from South Florida’s Haitian community, which numbers over 230,000, and from Venezuelan immigrants, many of whom came to the U.S. in recent years amid political and economic turmoil back home.

Marleine Bastien, a Miami-Dade County Commissioner and founder of the Family Action Network Movement, condemned the measure as “cruel and xenophobic,” adding that it would “sow chaos in our communities, separating families, and disrupting lives.” Bastien called the policy “a betrayal of the values America claims to uphold compassion, justice, and opportunity for all.”

The proclamation suspends entry for Venezuelan nationals on tourist, student, and temporary work visas, citing a lack of a "competent or cooperative central authority" and a nearly 10% visa overstay rate.

A Venezuelan mother now residing in South Florida told CBS News she fears her adult son may no longer be able to visit her. The uncertainty has also spread to niche communities, including bloggers who track Latin American tourist trends at Disney parks, a popular destination for Venezuelan visitors.

From 2014 to 2023, nearly half of the 1.7 million non-immigrant U.S. visas issued to citizens from the affected countries went to Venezuelans, who traveled for family reunification, shopping, and tourism.

Haiti, too, has seen significant impacts. Over the last decade, Haitian nationals received more than 243,000 non-immigrant visas more than any other country now facing a total travel ban. Though visa numbers declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were rebounding: Haitians received 10,515 non-immigrant visas in 2023 alone.

Trump's proclamation authorizes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security officials to identify countries with “deficient” identity verification systems. Rubio, whose Cuban parents immigrated to the U.S. in the 1950s, shared a statement on X (formerly Twitter):

“We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen… That is why today I am signing a new executive order.”

The administration has emphasized that the order is a security measure, not a blanket condemnation of any nation. But immigration and human rights advocates argue that such bans rarely achieve their intended goals and disproportionately affect innocent civilians.

According to State Department data reviewed by USA TODAY, citizens of the banned countries accounted for fewer than 63,000 non-immigrant visas in 2023. Venezuela led among them, followed by Iran (17,634), Myanmar/Burma (13,284), and Sudan (4,506). Meanwhile, Mexico led globally, with 2.3 million non-immigrant visas issued in 2023, followed by India (1.3 million) and Brazil (1.06 million).

Despite their lower numbers, many of the banned or restricted countries have longstanding family and cultural ties with U.S. communities. Advocates warn that the travel restrictions will damage these connections, separate families, and limit economic and educational exchanges.