Travel Ban: Woman’s Fear of Returning to Africa
A new U.S. travel ban is sparking fear across the Sierra Leonean community, especially for those with plans to visit family. Maryland resident Sonia Staples faces uncertainty about her August trip, as restrictions on Sierra Leone and other countries take effect. The ban,affecting Burundi,Cuba,Laos,Togo,Turkmenistan and Venezuela,follows concerns of immigration and visa overstays. Community leaders are stepping up to provide support and guidance, shifting focus from deportations to addressing anxieties. News Directory 3 reports on community efforts, exploring legal challenges and highlighting the vital contributions of immigrants. The Sierra Leone community finds itself facing new challenges. will they be able to overcome them Discover what’s next …
travel Ban Causes Fear Among Sierra Leone Community
Updated June 5,2025
A new travel ban,including restrictions on visitors from Sierra Leone and other nations,is causing anxiety among the Sierra Leonean community in the U.S. The policy, which also affects Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m.
Sonia Staples, a Prince George’s County, Md., resident, expressed concern about visiting her family in Sierra Leone. She had planned to take her two sons to her home country for the first time this August, but the travel restrictions have put that trip in jeopardy. The travel ban and heightened restrictions are creating uncertainty for many.
The ban also includes afghanistan, myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, iran, Libya, somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Former President Trump said the listed countries had deficient screening processes or a history of refusing deported citizens.
Imam Teslim Alghali, with the Sierra Leone Muslim Jamaat mosque in Hyattsville, Md., said his congregation is shifting its focus from mass deportations to addressing the fear caused by the new restrictions. The Sierra Leone community is now facing new challenges.
Diana Konaté, deputy executive director of policy and advocacy for African Communities Together, said support groups are prepared to challenge the travel ban. She emphasized the contributions of immigrants to the U.S.
“though I grew up here, my heart is in Sierra Leone. It is my heart, okay.It is my heart,” said sonia Staples.
“My family will be donating a school to a village. I would love to go,but not knowing what would happen,I wouldn’t want to take my kids and have them stuck over in Sierra Leone as,you know,we couldn’t come back,” Staples said.
“It’s going to create fear without a doubt and people are going to go back to the trenches,” Alghali said of the travel ban.
What’s next
Community organizations plan to provide resources and guidance to those affected by the travel ban, while also exploring legal challenges to the policy. The Sierra Leone community is persistent to fight the restrictions and continue contributing to the U.S.