Immigration Update – June 09, 2025
Headlines:
Trump Issues Travel Ban on 12 Countries and Partial Ban on 7 Countries, With Exceptions –President Trump issued a proclamation, “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.” The proclamation includes a country-by-country list of restrictions and exceptions.
Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Trump Administration’s Block on Harvard International Student Visas – After an emergency request from Harvard University, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to stop the Trump administration from blocking visas for new international students coming to Harvard.
DHS Ramps Up ‘Crackdown’ on Visa Overstays – Following a Boulder, Colorado, attack perpetrated by an Egyptian national, the Department of Homeland Security said that U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will be “ramping up the review of immigration records and will take immediate appropriate actions” to crack down on visa overstays.
DHS Terminates TPS for Nepal and Cameroon in August – Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Nepal and Cameroon will take place in August.
USCIS Seeks Comments on New Biographic and Employment Identifiers on Immigration Forms – The new collection is intended “to establish enhanced screening and vetting standards and procedures.”
Details:
Trump Issues Travel Ban on 12 Countries and Partial Ban on 7 Countries, With Exceptions
On June 4, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation, “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.” The proclamation includes a country-by-country list of restrictions and exceptions.
The proclamation:
- Fully restricts and limits the entry of nationals of the following 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen; and
- Partially restricts and limits the entry of nationals of the following 7 countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
“These restrictions distinguish between, but apply to both, the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants,” the proclamation states. The restrictions, which were opposed by immigration advocacy organizations, do not apply to lawful permanent residents and certain other categories, such as athletes coming to compete in major sporting events (e.g., the World Cup), diplomats, and those granted asylum or refugee status. Kelli Stump, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said that the restrictions “prevent the best and brightest from contributing to our innovation, and harm U.S. businesses that are understaffed and may have to close because they cannot employ the already vetted and approved foreign workers.”
Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Trump Administration’s Block on Harvard International Student Visas
On June 5, 2025, after an emergency request from Harvard University, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to stop the Trump administration from blocking visas for new international students coming to Harvard. International students make up about a quarter of Harvard’s student body.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly sent a cable ordering U.S. embassies and consulates to deny visa applications for Harvard international students after President Trump issued a related proclamation and fact sheet. The proclamation singled out Harvard due to national security concerns. The fact sheet states:
- The Proclamation suspends the entry into the United States of any new Harvard student as a nonimmigrant under F, M, or J visas.
- It directs the Secretary of State to consider revoking existing F, M, or J visas for current Harvard students who meet the Proclamation’s criteria.
- The Proclamation does not apply to aliens attending other U.S. universities through the Student Exchange Visa Program (SEVP) and exempts aliens whose entry is deemed in the national interest.
DHS Ramps Up ‘Crackdown’ on Visa Overstays
On June 4, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is ramping up a “crackdown” on visa overstays following a Boulder, Colorado, attack perpetrated by an Egyptian national. DHS said that U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will be “ramping up the review of immigration records and will take immediate appropriate actions.”
According to the DHS statement:
This urgent crackdown comes after authorities arrested 45-year-old Mohammed Sabry Soliman for setting at least eight Americans on fire in a shocking terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado. Soliman is an Egyptian national who had overstayed his visa in the U.S. and remained in the country unlawfully since 2022. Soliman faces federal hate crime and multiple state felony charges.
DHS Terminates TPS for Nepal and Cameroon in August
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nepal and Cameroon:
- Nepal: The TPS designation for Nepal, which was set to expire on June 24, 2025, will terminate at 11:59 p.m. “local time” on August 5, 2025, according to a Federal Register notice published on June 6, 2025. After August 5, nationals of Nepal (and those having no nationality who last habitually resided in Nepal) who have been granted TPS under Nepal’s designation will no longer have TPS.
- Cameroon: The TPS designation for Cameroon, which was set to expire on June 7, 2025, will terminate at 11:59 p.m. “local time” on August 4, 2025, according to a Federal Register notice published on June 4, 2025. After August 4, nationals of Cameroon (and those having no nationality who last habitually resided in Cameroon) who have been granted TPS under Cameroon’s designation will no longer have TPS.
DHS noted that affected people can use the CBP Home app to report their voluntary departure from the United States.
USCIS Seeks Comments on New Biographic and Employment Identifiers on Immigration Forms
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) seeks comments on a new information collection of “certain biographic and employment identifiers on immigration forms.” USCIS said the collection is necessary to comply with section 2 of Executive Order (EO) 14161, “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.”
The new collection is intended “to establish enhanced screening and vetting standards and procedures to enable USCIS to assess an alien’s eligibility to receive an immigration-related benefit. This data collection also is used to help validate an applicant’s identity and to determine whether such grant of a benefit poses a security or public-safety risk to the United States,” USCIS said.
Comments will be accepted until July 28, 2025. All submissions received must include the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1615-NEW in the body of the letter, the agency name, and Docket ID USCIS-2025-0006. Comments should be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at https://www.regulations.gov under e-Docket ID number USCIS-2025-0006.
Firm in the News
Cyrus Mehta was quoted by Forbes in Immigration Restrictions Pile Up on International Students. Commenting on the Mahmoud Khalil case, he said, “Assuming the Rubio memo knocked off in the habeas proceeding, the deportable ground under INA 237(a)(C)(4) may not be sustained.” Mr. Mehta said he thinks the Department of Homeland Security can continue seeking to deport Khalil for fraud or misrepresentation. “If Khalil cannot overcome this, he can seek a waiver in removal under INA 237(a)(1)(H) to waive entry fraud as he has a spouse who is a qualifying relative. Therefore, that would be the most practical way to deal with it rather than challenge the 212(a)(C)(6) ground in the Court of Appeals, where there may also be a jurisdictional bar as it would be a discretionary decision.”
Mehta was ranked as a Starred Individual in the Chambers USA Guide 2025 under New York – Immigration.
David Isaacson was ranked in Band II in the Chambers USA 2025 Guide 2025 under New York – Immigration.
Cyrus D Mehta & Partners PLLC was ranked under Band II as a law firm in the Chambers USA Guide 2025 under New York – Immigration.
The link to these entries in the Chambers USA Guide 2025 are at https://chambers.com/legal-guide/usa-5
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