CONNECTICUT, USA — The Trump administration’s full travel ban on 12 countries, and partial ban on seven, went into effect Monday.

The White House said this is due to national security concerns and is meant to prevent terrorism in the U.S., but advocacy groups in Connecticut said they’re already seeing the impacts of this ban.

Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services , or IRIS, is a nonprofit organization that helps refugees and other displaced people establish new lives in Connecticut.

Last year, three of the top five countries of origin of refugees admitted to America were Afghanistan, Myanmar and Venezuela. People from those three countries are now banned from entering the U.S. 

Maggie Mitchell Salem, IRIS’ executive director, said in 2024, IRIS helped 471 people from Afghanistan a

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