After spending years navigating Canada’s complex immigration system, Mohammad Alshuwaiter — a Yemeni refugee living in Ottawa — now faces the fear of being permanently separated from his eldest son due to a new U.S. travel ban introduced by President Donald Trump.
Alshuwaiter’s son, Noor, currently lives with his grandparents in Dearborn, Michigan. But starting June 9, a new executive order will block nationals from 12 countries — including Yemen — from entering the United States. The other affected countries are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan.
The U.S. administration claims these nations pose security concerns due to weak passport systems, high visa overstay rates, or alleged links to terrorism. Immigration experts in Canada warn that this policy could impact thousands of foreign nationals living here, especially those who are not yet Canadian citizens.
Ottawa-based immigration lawyer Warren Creates says many permanent residents from the listed countries — including individuals who have previously passed Canadian security checks — may now face travel restrictions and rejections at the U.S. border.
“This proclamation could dramatically affect those who assumed they were safe to cross the border,” he explained.
For Alshuwaiter, a 49-year-old researcher specializing in international law and human rights, the ban is yet another burden in a long, uncertain journey. He calls the new policy “a layer of suffering” on top of the challenges he’s already endured within the Canadian immigration system.
