SCOOP: Diplomatic Cables Reveal Scramble to Enforce Trump’s Travel Ban
Internal guidance outlines who was barred, who could slip through, and how embassies were told to deliver the message abroad.
WASHINGTON — Newly released diplomatic cables show the Trump administration moving swiftly in June and July to enforce a sweeping travel ban affecting nationals of 19 countries, with internal instructions ranging from how to deny student visas to exceptions for Olympic athletes and persecuted minorities in Iran.
The cables (attached), obtained by the Red Eagle Law Firm through litigation, provide an unusually detailed window into the State Department’s behind-the-scenes efforts to carry out President Donald Trump’s June 4 proclamation suspending entry from countries deemed national security risks.
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Broad Ban, Limited Exceptions
The initial June 8 cable ordered U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to inform host governments that entry and visa issuance for nationals of 12 countries — including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen — was being fully suspended, with partial suspensions for seven others, including Cuba, Venezuela and Laos.
Posts were told to deliver “demarche points” stressing that the suspensions were in the U.S. national interest, while outlining narrow exemptions. Those included lawful permanent residents, dual nationals traveling on third-country passports, adoption visas, Afghan and U.S. government special immigrant visas, and, in a notable carve-out, “any athlete … traveling for the FIFA World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event”.
National Interest Exceptions
A follow-up June 9 cable laid out a process for “National Interest Exceptions,” or NIEs, which chiefs of mission could request on behalf of individuals whose travel was deemed essential. The guidance stressed such approvals should be “rare” and framed in “America First” terms, allowing travel only in “exceptional” circumstances.
Examples included urgent medical treatment, law enforcement cooperation, and participation in professional sports competitions. By contrast, visas for family visits, education, or routine business were explicitly ruled out. “A connection to a U.S. citizen … is not sufficient grounds for an NIE,” the cable stated.
The Sports Carve-Out
On June 16, the State Department clarified that the “major sports” exception applied specifically to the 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, and the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, as well as other events designated by the secretary of state.
Only athletes, coaches, support staff, and their immediate relatives qualified. Accredited media, sponsors, and spectators did not. Posts were reminded that they could instead seek national interest waivers for those travelers.
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Special Rule for Iran’s Minorities
A fourth cable, dated July 18, issued guidance on one of the proclamation’s more unusual provisions: an exception for “ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran.” Adjudicators were instructed to continue processing visas for members of groups including Ahwazi Arabs, Baha’i, Kurds, Jews, Christians, Sufi and Sunni Muslims, and Zoroastrians.
Applicants did not need to show individualized persecution, but consular officers were told to document evidence and cite State Department human rights reports. Visas qualifying under this exception were to be annotated “Excepted from PP Restricting Entry”.
Muted Diplomacy, Heavy Fallout
Taken together, the cables highlight both the scope of Trump’s travel restrictions and the complexity of their implementation — from global demarches to fine-grained decisions about soccer players and religious minorities. They also underscore the administration’s reliance on 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the same legal provision used in Trump’s first-term travel bans.
The documents do not capture how foreign governments responded to the demarches, but they show a department under orders to balance the president’s sweeping directive with a patchwork of exceptions.
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