Labor defends its own visa ban

Federal Labor has been forced to defend it own record on visa bans as the opposition demanded Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull protest new US immigration restrictions.

The Rudd government in 2010 suspended without notice the processing of all new refugee claims by Sri Lankans and Afghanis for up to six months.

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek told ABC radio on Tuesday such a measure was appropriate where there were temporary circumstances such as an escalation of conflict or even a decline.

"Here you have a situation in the United States where a number of countries have been selected (and) there's no clear reason why these countries and not some other countries have been selected," she said.

Ms Plibersek described the US decision as "heavy handed" and implemented with a "slightly clumsy" approach.