The Trump administration has ordered an immediate pause on immigration applications from nationals of 19 countries, according to a memo issued Tuesday by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The directive affects both green card and citizenship applicants.
The four-page memo states the freeze is aimed at “heightened security screenings” and acknowledges that it may delay some pending applications. “Ultimately, USCIS has determined that the burden of processing delays that will fall on some applicants is necessary and appropriate in this instance, when weighed against the agency’s obligation to protect and preserve national security,” the agency said.
The suspension impacts nationals from countries already under full or partial travel bans, including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additional restrictions apply to applicants from Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, and Venezuela.
The move follows a recent shooting in Washington, DC, where two National Guard members were attacked, leaving one dead and another critically wounded. The suspect, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. legally during the Biden administration, was later granted asylum after Trump returned to office.
USCIS officials warn that more than 1.4 million pending asylum cases could be affected by the pause. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow questioned the vetting of Afghan nationals who arrived after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, saying, “I do not believe they were properly vetted.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urged further action, calling for a broader travel ban. On social media, she wrote, “I recommended a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”
The administration’s latest directive underscores a renewed focus on national security amid concerns over immigration and vetting procedures.
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