What to Know About Traveling to the U.S., Visas and More
At airports and land borders across the country, tourists and other visitors coming to the United States have reported being caught up in the Trump administration's campaign of 'enhanced vetting.' Even legal immigrants, like green card holders, and naturalized citizens have been pulled aside for additional questioning and searches.
This has prompted questions about best practices for crossing into the United States, travelers' rights at the border, and the legality of device and luggage searches.
Here are some things to know before you visit or return to the United States, as a tourist, legal resident or citizen.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, U.S. border officials have 'wide-ranging discretion' to deny entry. That decision can be made based on suspicion that the person is entering the country for a purpose other than what their visa or Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) says — for example, they have a tourist visa, but it seems like they may be planning to work.
'We've seen people detained just for saying they're 'Open to Work' on LinkedIn,' said Michael Wildes, the New Jersey-based immigration lawyer who handled Melania Trump's immigration to the United States. 'That serves as proof that they're not just going to Disneyland or to a wedding.'
Cheryl David, an immigration lawyer in New York City, stressed that no rules have changed when it comes to entering the United States, but she said, there is now a clear 'zero tolerance policy.'
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Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Separated from kids in Cuba and Haiti by Trump travel ban, parents plead for help
As Cubans on both sides of the Florida Straits come to terms with what a new U.S. travel ban means for their families' hopes to reunite, many have flocked to social media in anguish — including children — seeking help. 'President Trump, I ask you to please reconsider family reunification for residents,' said a 10-year-old in a Hello Kitty T-shirt in a video she recorded in Havana. The video was published by her mother, Lia Llanes, a U.S. permanent resident living in Miami, in one of the several Facebook groups where Cubans are discussing the new prohibitions. 'I am a child who, like many others, is waiting for an interview to reunite with our parents so we can grow up in this beautiful country and become a citizen,' the child says in the video. 'With great pride, I ask you again, please reconsider. And I ask God to enlighten you. Thank you.' The child had been taking English lessons, preparing for a new life in the United States, which she thought was just days away, Llanes told the Herald. The petition to bring her daughter to the U.S. had just been approved in late May, and the family was just waiting for the visa interview at the U.S. embassy in Havana, the final step in a lengthy process to legally emigrate to the United States. Then President Donald Trump announced last week a travel ban suspending the issuing of immigrant visas to Cuban relatives of U.S. permanent residents, upending the plans of many families to reunite. 'It's very heartbreaking to know that your claim is approved and this happens,' said Llanes, who runs a small business and obtained a green card after being paroled at the U.S. border in 2022. She said her daughter spent two days 'without talking to anyone' after learning the bad news. 'It's hard to explain,' she said. 'It's strange because you have your daughter there, and you're here, and one minute, you have good news, and then the next, everything changes.' Trump's new ban restricts travel for most citizens of Cuba, Venezuela and five other countries while also placing Haiti and 11 other nations on a full ban. It's a distressing blow to families who had already been waiting years to reunite in the United States. Standing in a room full of boxes with the beds she hoped her children would sleep on when they join her in the United States, Clara Yoa, a U.S. permanent resident, could barely contain her tears as she recounted how she felt after learning about the travel ban. 'I no longer have a life,' she said in a video she published on Facebook. Yoa came to the United States in 2019 from Cuba, and has her own small cleaning company in Tampa, she told the Herald. Like Llanes' daughter, her children, now 16, 17, and 19, were also waiting for the visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Havana. But their arrival had become an urgent matter because her own mother, who has been caring for Yoa's three children in Granma, a province in eastern Cuba, has metastatic cancer. Adding to her desperation is that a Cuban doctor told her that due to the stress caused by their separation, her eldest now has a heart condition. 'I hope that the people at the top, those who sign and pass the laws, also take into account that we, permanent residents, also have our children in a prison country, and we want to have them here with us,' she said, her voice breaking in the video. 'At least they should take into account that there are children who aren't going to come here to commit terrorism or harm this country.' The ban, announced last Wednesday, suspends immigration visas for adult children of U.S. citizens and relatives of U.S. permanent residents from the 19 countries included in the executive order. Only the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens–parents, spouses, parents and minor children will be allowed to enter the United States under a directive the White House said will 'protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats.' Cubans, Haitians and Venezuelans with visas issued before June 8 will still be able to travel to the United States. But on Monday, some relatives of U.S. permanent residents who attended scheduled visa interviews at the U.S. embassy in Havana were issued a document in Spanish stating they were not 'eligible for an immigrant visa' under the new directive, a decision they could not appeal. The document also stated that their cases did not merit an exception, citing U.S. national security interests. The State Department did not say if applicants whose immigration visas were denied solely based on the new travel restrictions would have a chance down the line to present their case again. It also did not say if cases involving young children would fall under exceptions the Secretary of State can make on a case-by-case basis. But an agency spokesperson said, 'Urgent humanitarian medical travel may be considered a basis for such an exception. Only applicants otherwise qualified for a visa will be considered.' On Wednesday, a mother with a Miami cellphone number joined a WhatsApp chat group for Cubans with pending immigration cases, wanting to know if anyone had heard of a child being denied an immigration visa at the U.S. embassy in Havana. Her child has a scheduled interview later this week. 'I am just talking to him, and he is so innocent, so oblivious about all this, and he will be very happy tomorrow at his appointment,' she said, crying in a voice message. One of the group's most active commenters replied: 'God is great. Perhaps when they see that little boy in there, they would approve it.' A historic exodus Many families left separated by the ban were part of a historic exodus from Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela in recent years. In introducing the travel ban, Trump partly blamed the Biden administration for allowing more than a half million Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans into the United States under a humanitarian parole program that allowed nationals of the four nations to migrate to the U.S. for two years as long as they had a financial sponsor, passed background checks and arrived through an airport. But part of the reason so many people from the four countries took advantage of the program, known as CHNV, stems from legal immigration hurdles and restrictive policies introduced by Trump during his first term. Among other things, his administration suspended the Cuba Family Reunification Program and a similar one for Haitians. During those years, U.S. embassies in the three countries either suspended visa processing or scaled back appointments, preventing people from immigrating legally while their populations faced political and humanitarian crises, which contributed to the historic exodus Trump is now citing. Anguish and uncertainty Since Trump signed his proclamation last Wednesday, Cubans in the U.S. and on the island have been debating and sharing information about the new immigration restrictions on several groups on WhatsApp and Facebook. Many are praying for a 'miracle' as they share their stories and give each other hope that the ban might be temporary. The directive states that after three months of its enactment, the President will review the recommendations by the Secretary of State regarding whether to continue the restrictions on nationals of the targeted countries. A review will be conducted every six months thereafter. But the lifting of restrictions relies on the foreign governments improving 'their information-sharing and identity-management protocols and practices.' So far, the Cuban government has not signaled it is interested in improving its cooperation with the U.S. and instead attacked Secretary of State Marco Rubio. After the travel ban was announced, Cuba's foreign minister said the measure 'aims to deceive the American people, blaming and violating the rights of migrants. Anti-Cuban politicians, including the Secretary of State, are the main proponents of this measure, betraying the communities that elected them.' Trump's proclamation also notes Cuba remains on the U.S. list of countries that sponsor terrorism. The ban also comes at especially difficult time for Haitians in a country wracked by gang violence. In a statement, Haiti's U.S.-backed Transitional Presidential Council said it plans to 'initiate negotiations and technical discussions' with the Trump administration in order to remove Haiti from the targeted countries. This is likely a tall order considering that more than 1.3 million Haitians remain displaced and armed gangs, now in control of most of Port-au-Prince, have made it difficult to circulate, raising questions about authorities' ability to improve vetting procedures and information sharing with the U.S. For Haiti, the ban prohibits the entry of all of its nationals unless they fall under the few exceptions contemplated in the new directive. Like many Haitians who arrived back in the U.S. on the first day of the travel ban, Eraus Alzime, 71, didn't fully understand its impact. The father of 10 was in Haiti visiting his children when he received a call urging him to get back to the U.S. To get out, he had to travel by bus and went through three gang checkpoints, he said. 'Of course you feel panicked,' Alzime said. 'The bandits make you get off so that they check your suitcases and see what you are carrying. You don't have a choice, you have to do it, if you don't you can end up dead.' Alzime, a U.S. citizen, said he applied for six of his children to emigrate to the U.S legally. The oldest is 43 years-old while the youngest is 14. His adult children won't be able to travel to the United States under the current ban. 'I filed for my kids and they've yet to give them to me,' he said. A victim of the country's incessant violence, Alizme says he has no choice but to travel to Haiti for his kids. 'I have to go see how they are doing,' he said. 'We live depressed' As the news about the travel ban sinks in, parents worry about the psychological toll the prolonged separation will have on their children, especially those who are too young to grasp immigration policy. Gleydys Sarda, 26, and her husband took the difficult decision to flee Cuba and left their 3-year-old son under the care of his grandparents in 2022. They didn't want to expose him to what they knew could be a dangerous land journey to the U.S. Southern border, she said. Now, he is 6 years-old, under the care of a grandparent and increasingly anxious to be with his parents. 'We live depressed because of the long wait; we ran out of excuses to tell him when he asks why he cannot be with us,' said Sardá, who is a U.S. permanent resident and works for Amazon at a warehouse in Coral Springs. 'Lately, he has been repeating more than ever that he wants to be here, that he is tired of waiting, and now this restriction broke our hearts. We have no other way.' Sardá's visa petition to bring him to the United States has yet to be approved. The couple tried to bring him using the special parole program created by the Biden administration, but they never heard back from U.S. immigration authorities. Sardá, who is currently pregnant, frets at the idea of traveling to Cuba to see her child, which currently seems to be her only choice to spend time with him, if only for a short time. The last time she visited in January, 'the goodbye was too hard. When we are there, the three of us are very happy, but after we leave,I feel I leave him worse,' she said. Sarda said the boy got depressed after they left, 'and so do we. I was in bed and didn´t want to go to work or leave the house.' 'Now I am also expecting my second child, and it would break my heart to go to Cuba with one child, return with one and leave the other in Cuba.'
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Silver Airways shutting down operations, leaving passengers stranded at Florida airports
Regional carrier Silver Airways announced Wednesday it is shutting down operations after a failed attempt at restructuring through bankruptcy, leaving some passengers stranded at airports in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. 'Please do not go to the airport,' the Hollywood, Florida-based company posted on its website. The statement said Silver had sold its assets through the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding to a holding company that 'unfortunately has determined to not continue Silver's flight operations' that served five Florida cities and 11 island destinations. Advertisement A general view of a Silver Airways airplane as seen at Tampa International Airport in Tampa, FL on Aug. 29, 2024. Christopher Sadowski Passengers can seek refunds through their credit card issuer or travel agency, the Silver statement said. Silver's fleet had been reduced to just eight ATR turboprop planes and its workforce cut from 608 to 348 pilots, flight attendants and ground workers, according to the company. Advertisement Silver Airways announced Wednesday it is shutting down operations after a failed attempt at restructuring through bankruptcy, leaving some passengers stranded at airports in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Silver Airways An email to employees from Silver's CEO said most of those jobs will be eliminated. Silver Airways began operations in 2011 and once served 28 destinations. A subsidiary based in Puerto Rico, Seaborne Airlines, will continue to operate in the Caribbean.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fewer Americans want to visit Europe this summer, survey suggests
The Brief U.S. interest in traveling to Europe this summer has dropped by 7 percentage points. Cost concerns are the top barrier, but politics and global perception may also play a role. Chinese tourism to Europe is rising sharply, making up for lost American visitors. LOS ANGELES - Fewer Americans are planning to vacation in Europe this summer, and international travel sentiment in the U.S. remains weak compared to 2024, according to new survey data from the European Travel Commission. Just 33% of U.S. respondents say they plan to visit Europe this summer, a 7% drop from last year. While high travel costs and the appeal of domestic trips were the top reasons cited, the ETC also noted a more subtle factor: a growing number of Americans may be feeling self-conscious about how they're perceived abroad — particularly under the foreign policy direction of President Trump's administration. The data suggests a cooling of enthusiasm not just among Americans toward Europe, but possibly in the other direction as well. The backstory The report attributes much of the drop to rising travel costs, which were cited by nearly half of U.S. respondents not planning a European trip. Still, the ETC noted that "worries about being negatively perceived overseas under Trump's confrontational foreign policy" may also be playing a role in shaping travel behavior — a trend supported by the regional split in travel intent. For example, 43% of Americans from the Northeast, a region that typically leans Democratic, still plan to visit Europe — compared to just 33% nationally. That regional gap, the ETC suggests, reflects a political divergence that's influencing how comfortable people feel traveling internationally. Despite a small uptick in overall long-haul travel sentiment in 2025, travel to Europe specifically has lost ground across several major markets. Dig deeper While U.S. enthusiasm has declined, other regions are showing different patterns: China stands out, with 72% of surveyed travelers planning a trip to Europe — a 10% increase from 2024. Brazil and Canada both showed declines of 6% and 5%, respectively. Japan recorded the lowest level of interest, with just 13% of respondents planning a European vacation. The ETC attributed the rise in Chinese travel to economic recovery, higher disposable incomes, and a growing cultural emphasis on travel and lifestyle experiences. Why you should care The shift has real implications for both the European tourism industry, which was valued at $1.3 trillion in 2024, and for U.S. global engagement. Visits to the U.S. from countries like Germany have plunged — down 28% year-over-year in March — as global visitors increasingly turn to destinations that feel more politically neutral or welcoming. The ETC warns that strained international relations and economic instability make long-term travel forecasts harder to predict. However, they also emphasized that Europe remains committed to attracting high-value travelers by promoting earlier departures, lower-cost destinations, and off-season opportunities. What they're saying "At a time of declining consumer confidence globally, it is more important than ever to strengthen Europe's position as a top destination," said Miguel Sanz, President of the European Travel Commission. "This means improving the competitiveness and accessibility of European experiences while continuing to showcase lesser-known destinations and off-season travel." The Source This article is based on the Long-Haul Travel Barometer 2/2025, jointly published by the European Travel Commission and Eurail BV. Additional context and commentary were included in a press release dated June 2025, with attribution to Miguel Sanz and regional travel sentiment data collected across multiple international markets.
