Hello Neighbor is deeply worried and concerned about the expansion of the Trump administration’s travel ban, which further restricts lawful entry for people seeking safety and directly impacts families and communities here in Pittsburgh.

At Hello Neighbor, this is not an abstract policy debate. It affects neighbors we know by name. Parents trying to reunite with children. Students waiting on visas so they can stay in school. Families who have already begun building their lives in Western Pennsylvania, only to have the door suddenly closed behind them.

Pittsburgh has a long history of welcome. From steelworkers who arrived generations ago to refugees rebuilding their lives today, our region is stronger because people were given a chance to belong. Blanket bans undermine that legacy and do nothing to make our communities safer.

“In Pittsburgh, we see every day that welcome works,” said Sloane Davidson, Founder and CEO of Hello Neighbor. “When legal pathways are cut off, families are left in limbo and communities lose the opportunity to grow stronger together. Security comes from thoughtful, individualized vetting, not policies rooted in fear that punish people simply because of where they’re from.”

Hello Neighbor is particularly alarmed by the continued inclusion of countries facing active conflict, persecution, and humanitarian crisis - places from which many of our newest Pittsburgh neighbors have fled. These policies disproportionately harm children, women, religious minorities, and others with no viable path to safety.

Pittsburgh has shown what’s possible when we lead with compassion and common sense. The nation could and should follow our example.