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‘We don’t know yet’: Trump travel ban adds uncertainty for Iowa refugee families

President Donald Trump’s executive order blocks citizens from several Middle Eastern and African countries, including Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan and Myanmar, from traveling to the United States.

‘We don’t know yet’: Trump travel ban adds uncertainty for Iowa refugee families

President Donald Trump’s executive order blocks citizens from several Middle Eastern and African countries, including Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan and Myanmar, from traveling to the United States.

ANTI-SEMITIC AND AN ACT OF TERROR. THE NEW TRAVEL BAN IS RAISING A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS HERE IN IOWA, ESPECIALLY FOR FAMILIES HOPING TO REUNITE WITH LOVED ONES ABROAD, vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER JOINS US IN STUDIO TONIGHT. AMANDA, THIS IS CREATING A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY. THAT’S RIGHT. STACIE AND TODD LUTHERAN SERVICES IN IOWA, OR LSI, HAS HELPED THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES BUILD NEW LIVES HERE IN OUR STATE. AND WHILE ALL NEW REFUGEE RESETTLEMENTS WERE ALREADY PAUSED, THE ORGANIZATION SAYS THIS NEW TRAVEL BAN IS CREATING SOME MORE UNCERTAINTY FOR SOME IOWA FAMILIES. I THINK THERE’S A LOT OF HESITANCY AND CAUTION AROUND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL, JUST NOT KNOWING WHAT WILL CHANGE. NIC WIRTZ, DIRECTOR OF LUTHERAN SERVICES IN IOWA, SAYS MANY OF THE COUNTRIES INCLUDED IN THE NEW TRAVEL BAN ARE ALREADY REPRESENTED IN IOWA, INCLUDING 5 TO 6000 FROM MYANMAR AND MORE FROM AFGHANISTAN, SOMALIA AND SUDAN. THERE ARE A LOT OF IOWANS FROM FROM THESE COUNTRIES THAT HAVE ALL COME HERE LEGALLY AND ARE NOW WORKING IN A PART OF OUR, OUR COMMUNITIES THAT THAT MAY HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS ABROAD, THAT THIS WILL IMPACT LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENTS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE BAN. BUT WIRTZ SAYS THEY MAY FACE NEW ROADBLOCKS IN TRYING TO SEE FRIENDS AND FAMILY. YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO IS HERE FROM BURMA OR SUDAN OR SOMALIA, HAS FAMILY MEMBERS ABROAD AND, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE U.S. CITIZENS. ARE THEY ABLE TO APPLY FOR FAMILY MEMBERS TO COME HERE OR NOT? OBVIOUSLY, WE HOPE THAT THAT IT WILL NOT PREVENT THEM FROM DOING SO. BUT WE DON’T WE DON’T KNOW YET. IOWA’S REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS ARE DEFENDING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S DECISION. THE PRESIDENT’S NUMBER ONE. RESPONSIBILITY IS THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES. WE DON’T WANT GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE EITHER IN COLLABORATION WITH TERRORIST AGENCIES OR THAT ARE JUST BEHOLDEN TO A TERRORIST GROUP ISSUING PASSPORTS AND ALLOWING THOSE FOLKS TO COME TO THE UNITED STATES. BUT CONGRESSMAN ZACH NUNN ALSO SAYS IT’S IMPORTANT TO PROTECT AFGHAN ALLIES. THERE IS AN EXCEPTION FOR AFGHANS WHO SERVED WITH THE U.S. DURING THE WAR AND HAVE A SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA, AN EXTENSION OF THE SIV PROGRAM IS A GREAT ASSURANCE TO THOSE WHO HAVE COME THROUGH THE IMMIGRATION PROCESS THE RIGHT WAY THAT THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE A FUTURE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. WIRTZ SAYS LSI STILL HAS UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, AND HE SAYS IT’S EVEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE FROM AFFECTED COUNTRIES TO GET ANSWERS. I THINK THE LACK OF INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, IS OFTEN KIND OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE’VE FACED IN TERMS OF HOW WE MAKE DECISIONS. AND FOR A FAMILY THAT’S TRYING TO NAVIGATE THAT, I THINK EVEN HARDER FOR THEM TO KIND OF GET THE ANSWERS THEY NEED AS WELL. THERE ARE A LOT OF PIECES TO THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER AND MANY EXCEPTIONS TO IT AS WELL, INCLUDING FOR ADOPTIONS, DUAL NATIONALS, TRAVELING ON A PASSPORT FROM AN UNRESTRICTED COUNTRY, AND PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES TRAVELING FOR SPORTING EVENTS LIKE THE WORLD CUP. THEY CAN STILL TRAVEL TO AND FR
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Updated: 6:18 PM CDT Jun 9, 2025
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‘We don’t know yet’: Trump travel ban adds uncertainty for Iowa refugee families

President Donald Trump’s executive order blocks citizens from several Middle Eastern and African countries, including Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan and Myanmar, from traveling to the United States.

vlog logo
Updated: 6:18 PM CDT Jun 9, 2025
Editorial Standards
A new travel ban announced by the Trump administration is raising fresh concerns for Iowa families hoping to reunite with loved ones overseas — especially within the state’s refugee and immigrant communities.President Donald Trump’s executive order blocks citizens from several Middle Eastern and African countries, including Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan and Myanmar, from traveling to the United States. The administration says the goal is to improve national security by preventing travel from countries with associations to terrorism. Nick Wuertz, director of immigrant and refugee community services for Lutheran Services in Iowa said housands of people from countries affected by the ban already call Iowa home.The ban does not apply to legal permanent residents of the United States or travelers with existing visas. However, Wuertz said the ban may create new roadblocks for refugees hoping to reunite with loved ones abroad."We have people here in Iowa from those countries who are Iowans now and may have family members that they are looking to bring here in the future," Wuertz said. "Are they able to apply for family members to come here or not? Obviously, we hope that it will not prevent them from doing so, but we don't know yet."The executive order comes at a time of broader uncertainty surrounding U.S. immigration policy. In January, the Trump administration also paused all refugee resettlement — putting a stop to Lutheran Services' resettlement efforts. “There have been a lot of changes over the last five months in terms of how our U.S. is approaching immigration,” Wuertz said. “It’s been very challenging for us as an organization often to get answers or clarification on things.”The uncertainty is also impacting people’s willingness to travel — even for those who are already legally in the U.S.“I think there’s a lot of hesitancy and caution around international travel — just not knowing what will change," Wuertz added.Iowa is home to growing communities of Burmese, Afghan, Somali, and Sudanese refugees. Lutheran Services in Iowa continues to support the families who are already here, helping them find jobs, navigate school enrollment, and adjust to life in a new country. But with no timeline for resuming resettlement and unanswered questions on how the new ban will impact family reunification petitions, Wuertz said the future for many families remains uncertain.

A new travel ban announced by the Trump administration is raising fresh concerns for Iowa families hoping to reunite with loved ones overseas — especially within the state’s refugee and immigrant communities.

President Donald Trump’s executive order blocks citizens from several Middle Eastern and African countries, including Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan and Myanmar, from traveling to the United States. The administration says the goal is to improve national security by preventing travel from countries with associations to terrorism.

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Nick Wuertz, director of immigrant and refugee community services for Lutheran Services in Iowa said housands of people from countries affected by the ban already call Iowa home.

The ban does not apply to legal permanent residents of the United States or travelers with existing visas. However, Wuertz said the ban may create new roadblocks for refugees hoping to reunite with loved ones abroad.

"We have people here in Iowa from those countries who are Iowans now and may have family members that they are looking to bring here in the future," Wuertz said. "Are they able to apply for family members to come here or not? Obviously, we hope that it will not prevent them from doing so, but we don't know yet."

The executive order comes at a time of broader uncertainty surrounding U.S. immigration policy. In January, the Trump administration also paused all refugee resettlement — putting a stop to Lutheran Services' resettlement efforts.

“There have been a lot of changes over the last five months in terms of how our U.S. is approaching immigration,” Wuertz said. “It’s been very challenging for us as an organization often to get answers or clarification on things.”

The uncertainty is also impacting people’s willingness to travel — even for those who are already legally in the U.S.

“I think there’s a lot of hesitancy and caution around international travel — just not knowing what will change," Wuertz added.

Iowa is home to growing communities of Burmese, Afghan, Somali, and Sudanese refugees. Lutheran Services in Iowa continues to support the families who are already here, helping them find jobs, navigate school enrollment, and adjust to life in a new country. But with no timeline for resuming resettlement and unanswered questions on how the new ban will impact family reunification petitions, Wuertz said the future for many families remains uncertain.