President Trump has not passed executive order explicitly stopping green card holders leaving or entering US

A video which falsely claims that an executive order by President Donald Trump means that green card holders are not able to enter or leave the United States has been shared widely online.

The footage, which has been shared more than 1,400 times on Facebook, features footage of the US president, as well as other clips of people queuing and arguing in airports, and people being taken away by police officers.

The same audio with slightly different video clips is also circulating on TikTok.

A voiceover, which apes the style of a news presenter, says: “Breaking news: Trump just banned all permanent residents from leaving the US. If you are abroad now you can’t come back. This isn’t just about illegal immigration anymore, Trump’s new executive order affects everyone.

“Green card holders are stuck in the US, legal residents are locked out. Your family vacation becomes illegal. The New York Times leaked the White House draft, 45 countries are now on Trump’s red list.

“Implementing extreme entry restrictions on their citizens, even if they have valid visas, even if they have lived here for decades. 8.7 million permanent residents suddenly unable to visit dying parents overseas, can’t attend their weddings abroad.

The video also includes overlaid text and a caption that says; “Starting June 25permanent residents willnot be able to leave or enterthe United States [sic]. lt is now official.”

But the claims in these videos are misleading and inaccurate. Lawful permanent residents, also known as green card holders, are immigrants who have been granted lawful permanent residence, but who have not yet become US citizens. Green card holders are exempt from President Trump’s travel restrictions to the US.

However, some experts have warned that there is likely to be additional scrutiny for permanent residents, especially from red-listed countries, when re-entering the US.

What travel restrictions are in place for the US?

On 4 June President Trump signed a proclamation restricting nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Haiti and Iran, from entering the US from 9 June.

Partial travel restrictions were also brought in for nationals from a further seven countries including Cuba and Venezuela. The move comes as part of a crackdown on illegal migration by the Trump administration and means that the issuing of new visas have been fully suspended for residents of the 12 countries, and partially suspended for the seven other countries (with a number of exemptions, such as for dual passport holders and visiting athletes). This totals 19 countries, not the 45 mentioned in the video.

The social media video mentions a report by the New York Times as a source. An article published by the outlet in March detailed a draft list of 43 countries for a new travel ban, and said it was not clear whether existing green card holders would be exempt.

But the proclamation, which came into force in June, did not end up applying to people who already had a valid visa, which are not being revoked.

And crucially, in reference to the claims in the viral video, the proclamation does not apply to any lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holders).

The video is also incorrect on the numbers of green card holders in America, citing a figure of 8.7 million. But the Office of Homeland Security Statistics estimates there were 12.8 million permanent residents living in the United States as of January 2024. Of these, 8.7 million people had met the age and length of residency requirements for naturalization, which means they could potentially gain US citizenship.

Before sharing information that you see on social media, first consider whether it comes from a trustworthy and verifiable source. Our toolkit can help you do this.