# Can A U.S. State Ban One Or More Specific Foreigners **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 14, 2024, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-u-s-state-ban-one-or-more-specific-foreigners/998815 "2024-03-14T00:05:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-u-s-state-ban-one-or-more-specific-foreigners/998815/21 "2024-03-15T19:35:10Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > The most well-known examples are restrictions placed on Russians traveling outside certain cities and areas. Usually diplomats or employees of embassies, but not all of them. For many years back in the good old days, the Soviet Union sold farm tractors in the US. Simple to use, low-cost, they were actually kind of popular. The tractor salesman could travel to places Soviet embassy personnel couldn’t, but they couldn’t travel wherever they wanted. To be blunt, I call BS on that unless a reliable cite is provided. Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which is the binding international treaty that governs the work of embassies (and to which the US is a party), the host state must allow embassy staff freedom of travel across its territory. This is not without exceptions; the host state can restrict access to zones “entry into which is prohibited or regulated for reasons of national security”. But I’d argue that this only applies if entry into the zone is restricted to the general public as well; targeted access restrictions for foreigners to areas that any domestic citizen can freely travel to would not seem to fall under this exception. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2024, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-u-s-state-ban-one-or-more-specific-foreigners/998815/22 "2024-03-15T19:52:59Z")
Would you consider the Library of Congress a reputable site? > **[Restricting Soviet Travel in the U.S. During the Cold War | Worlds Revealed](https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/2017/08/restricting-soviet-travel-in-the-u-s-during-the-cold-war/)** > > The rise of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union resulted in substantial limitations on where travelers could visit in the opposite nation. When Joseph Stalin, the leader of the USSR, died in 1953, the succeeding Soviet... ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-u-s-state-ban-one-or-more-specific-foreigners/998815/23 "2024-03-15T19:59:15Z")
But did this apply to Soviet diplomats accredited to the US? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2024, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-u-s-state-ban-one-or-more-specific-foreigners/998815/24 "2024-03-15T20:02:41Z")
There is this, from the article: “In 1962, the Kennedy administration lifted travel restrictions for ordinary Soviet citizens. However, Soviet reporters and government officials were closely monitored, and the U.S. government limited where they could visit until the end of the Cold War.” To be fair, I’m not sure this answers the specific question. But it certainly doesn’t say there were any exceptions for diplomats. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2024, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-u-s-state-ban-one-or-more-specific-foreigners/998815/25 "2024-03-15T20:07:04Z")
I’ll partially retract my previous statement; according to [this DoS page](https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1961-63v05/d184), the restrictions were, from 1955 to 1962, applied to all Soviet citizens, including diplomats, except those posted to the United Nations in New York. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2024, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-u-s-state-ban-one-or-more-specific-foreigners/998815/26 "2024-03-19T19:16:37Z")
> [@andrewm](#): > > Got a cite for any of that? I am afraid not. It was described to me in a meeting by an FBI agent back in the early 90s. He was talking about events back in the 70s and 80s. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2024, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-u-s-state-ban-one-or-more-specific-foreigners/998815/27 "2024-03-20T20:37:20Z")
didn’t the Suprem Court just ruled Texas arresting illegals was ok for now? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-u-s-state-ban-one-or-more-specific-foreigners/998815/28 "2024-03-22T19:23:09Z")
De jure or de facto? I believe they declined to overrule some sort of administrative ruling from an appeals court and due to tradition they never overrule that specific type of ruling. Does someone have the details? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-u-s-state-ban-one-or-more-specific-foreigners/998815/29 "2024-03-22T23:05:59Z")
The Supreme Court declined to review the Fifth Circuit’s denial of a stay. Appellate courts normally enter such stays automatically but the Fifth is unusual. The SCOTUS order doesn’t address the merits of the case which is being heard by the Fifth next month. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-u-s-state-ban-one-or-more-specific-foreigners/998815.md?page=1)