BAJI Condemns Trump’s Anti-Black, Anti-Muslim Travel Ban, ICE Raids in Los Angeles, and Escalating Authoritarianism
Los Angeles, CA — The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) unequivocally condemns the Trump administration’s aggressive escalation of anti-Black, anti-Muslim, and anti-immigrant policies — including a sweeping travel ban targeting Black and Muslim-majority countries, violent ICE raids terrorizing communities across Los Angeles and other cities like Minneapolis. By deploying the National Guard and threatening other militarized law enforcement, the US government is aggressively shutting down protests.
This is not about national security. This is not policy. This is persecution — rooted in white supremacy and designed to incite fear, suppress dissent, and punish resistance.
This week, Trump’s newly announced travel ban targeting 12 countries goes into effect — eight of them facing a total ban: Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. Four more — Burundi, Cuba, Sierra Leone, and Togo — face severe restrictions. Let’s be clear: this is a Black ban.
The Facts Are Clear:
This travel ban is not about “extreme vetting.” The U.S. already controls the visa process; African and Caribbean nations do not issue their own visas — the U.S. does.
In 2022, 54% of student visa applications from African nations were denied, compared to just 9% for European nations.
Black immigrants are not overstaying visas at high rates — but white-majority countries face none of this scrutiny.
This is not about enforcement. It’s about punishment. The U.S. is using immigration policy to bully sovereign Black nations into compliance with its global interests.
From Gaza to Los Angeles, Port-au-Prince to Minneapolis, Black and brown communities are being surveilled, raided, and disappeared — all while being painted as threats.
Authoritarianism doesn’t always announce itself. It shows up in immigration raids. In travel bans. In jail and prison cells. And in the violent silencing of protest.
“This is not just a travel ban — it’s a declaration of war on Black lives around the world,” Nana Gyamfi, BAJI Executive Director. "When the U.S. government bans our countries, raids our homes, and threatens our communities with military force, it’s not about safety — it’s about control. It’s about reminding Black people globally that our freedom will always be contested. But we reject that. We are not afraid. We will resist — together, across borders, and without apology.”
BAJI Demands:
An immediate end to the 2025 anti-Black, anti-Muslim travel ban — both total and partial.
A halt to ICE raids and an end to all local police collaboration with federal immigration agencies.
A full withdrawal of threats to deploy military force against civilians exercising their First Amendment rights.
Real investment in community care, not carceral control.
Gyamfi continued, "Black immigrants are not the problem — we are the people. We are your coworkers, neighbors, teachers, and loved ones. We will not be divided, disappeared, or scapegoated. We are rising — and we are not going anywhere.”
About BAJI:
The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) educates and organizes for racial, social, and economic justice for Black immigrants and African Americans. We fight for a world where Black people are free to move, stay, work, and thrive — with dignity and without fear. More at baji.org.