Press Statement | June 5, 2025
ECDC Urges Reevaluation of Travel Restrictions
Arlington, VA (June 5, 2025) – The Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc. (ECDC) acknowledges the complex security considerations behind the president’s recent travel ban but expresses profound concern that these measures disproportionately restrict lawful travel for millions based on nationality—with a particularly heavy impact on African and Muslim-majority nations. Such broad limitations risk perpetuating harmful stereotypes while failing to address global security threats comprehensively.
While national security remains paramount, sweeping restrictions on entire nations may ultimately undermine international cooperation and humanitarian obligations. We urge the administration to ensure that travel policies are based on specific, verifiable security risks rather than broad geographic categorizations.
We are especially concerned about those families from these countries that have been waiting for decades to reunite with their families. This ban represents a substantial setback for diaspora communities, which have been separated from their families, often for decades.
“Security and compassion are not mutually exclusive,” said Tsehaye Teferra (Ph.D), ECDC President and CEO. “We can protect our borders while avoiding policies that inadvertently target countries bearing the brunt of global displacement crises.”
As an organization that has resettled refugees from across the world including for decades, ECDC has witnessed firsthand the valuable contributions of immigrants to American communities. We are prepared to collaborate with policymakers on solutions that balance security with fairness
The newly announced travel ban imposes full restrictions on nationals from twelve countries—Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen—while applying partial restrictions to seven others: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. With only narrow exceptions, these sweeping measures effectively prohibit routine international travel purposes including university education in the United States, family visits during holidays and special occasions, and leisure tourism—fundamental exchanges that have long fostered global understanding and personal connections.
For more information: info@ecdcus.org