Family Heartbreak: Trump’s New Travel Ban Just Started and 19 Countries Are Hit!

Picture this: You have family far away, maybe a grandparent, a parent, or even your own child, and seeing them is everything to you.

Now, a big change has just happened that is making it much, much harder to be together. A new travel ban announced by President Trump started on Monday, June 9, 2025.

It’s already causing a lot of sadness and worry for families across the country, especially in places like South Florida.

The government says the main reason for this ban is to keep the country safe, calling it a matter of national security.

But what does it mean for real people? This ban affects people from a total of 19 different countries. It completely stops people from 12 of these countries from coming into the United States at all. For seven other countries, it makes travel much, much harder and severely restricts visitors.

Some countries that have strong ties to people living in South Florida are on this list. Cuba and Venezuela are two countries where travel to the U.S. is now much more difficult, as they are among the seven countries facing restrictions.

Haiti is under an even stricter rule called an “implementation ban,” which means people from Haiti generally won’t be allowed into the country at all, except for a very few special cases.

This is causing a lot of pain for families who live here. People in immigrant communities here count on their family members from overseas being able to visit.

An activist named Tessa Petit, who is an immigrant from Haiti, said that this new rule will “separate our communities”.

Getting permission to travel from Cuba to the U.S. has always been difficult. But this new ban might make it “all but impossible” for many. Think about people like Emerio, who told the news that he has been waiting for years just to see his son. He is still holding onto hope, even with this new rule. There’s also the story of Ana Leal, who finally reunited with her family at Miami International Airport right before the ban took effect. Her family fled from Cuba years ago, but Ana was left behind. After waiting 10 years to see them, she almost wasn’t allowed to get the paper (a visa) needed to travel.

These are just a few examples of the real families and people who are feeling the heavy impact of this new ban. For many, just wanting to be close to the people they love most has suddenly become a huge, heartbreaking challenge.