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Trump's travel ban takes effect Monday. What does it mean for Massachusetts' Haitian community?
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President Donald Trump's revamped travel ban takes effect today. The new order bars all foreign nationals from 12 countries — Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen — from entering the U.S., and partially restricts travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. This story from NPR breaks down how this measure differs from the "Muslim ban" from Trump's first term.
On the local level: Oren Sellstrom, legal director for Lawyers for Civil Rights, told WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez the effects of the ban are already being felt in Massachusetts. The state is home to the third-largest Haitian diaspora in the country, and Trump's ban completely restricts travel from the island wracked by turmoil. "The primary fear people have is that they will now be prohibited from seeing their loved ones who may be out of the country," Sellstrom said, adding many feel "despondent."
- Why is the ban back? The Trump administration says the travel ban is a matter of national security, citing terrorist presence, high visa overstay rates or inadequate screening and vetting processes for travelers as reasons for a country's placement on the list. The full suspension of travelers from Haiti was attributed to visa overstays and "establishment of criminal networks, and other national security threats." However, there is no data to support these national security concerns, according to Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune.
- What she's saying: Louijeune has been vocal in her disagreement with the ban, saying the measure only serves the president's "xenophobic" interests. The city plans to budget $350,000 for immigrant legal support this week, according to Louijeune. "I've heard from people who are unsure if they should travel to visit loved ones because of this travel ban," she said. "And that's exactly what this administration wants to do; they want to sow fear and uncertainty and chaos."
- A ripple effect: The ban also impacts the ability of local health aid groups to connect with workers abroad. Boston-based Partners in Health employs hundreds of health workers in Haiti, providing lifesaving services like chemotherapy and malnutrition treatment to 10% of the country's total population. Those workers, most of which are Haitian nationals, will not be able to get to the U.S. to report on development or visit other Partners in Health sites. "Part of building a healthy world is to come together around fighting diseases," Dr. Joia Mukherjee told WBUR's Rachell Sanchez-Smith. " The idea that the United States can be strong without this melting pot of ideas and expertise is just so wrong-headed."
Banding together: Twenty-two Democratic governors — including Gov. Maura Healey — are speaking out against Trump's deployment of the National Guard Sunday to quell anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. The governors published a statement on Sunday that called the action unlawful, ineffective and dangerous.
- Before around 300 California National Guard troops had been deployed at three sites around Los Angeles, California Gov. Gavin Newsom warned deploying them would "only escalate tensions." Trump sent troops in anyway. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also suggested sending in active-duty Marines to Los Angeles "if violence continues," which the Democratic governors said would "erode public trust."
Tell it to the judge: Massachusetts' MBTA Communities Law withstood another challenge in court this past Friday, this time from a lawsuit filed by nine municipalities, including Weston, Marshfield and Duxbury.
- The communities argued the law is unfairly forcing cities and towns to pay for expensive infrastructural improvements in order to create denser housing around transit stops. Plymouth Superior Court Justice Mark Gildea dismissed the suit on Friday, stating any possible costs are "indirect" and that there are grant programs available if towns need help paying for the operations or construction.
Also in court: Shelley Joseph — the local judge indicted seven years ago for helping a man without legal documentation evade ICE agents in Newton district court — is back in court today to potentially face disciplinary charges.
- Wait, didn't the Biden-era Department of Justice agree to dismiss felony charges against her? Yes. As part of that deal, Joseph admitted no wrongdoing, but referred herself to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which takes up the case today. (MassLive has an interesting read on how the misconduct allegations against Joseph stack up to similar past cases against judges.)
P.S. — The Provincetown International Film Festival begins Wednesday, kicking off a season full of film festivals. Movie critic Erin Trahan's guide breaks down what’s showing at local favorites, like Provincetown, the Nantucket Film Festival and RoxFilm. (And it's the first of our 2025 summer arts guides, rolling out all week.)
