US Halts Immigration Processing for 19 Non-European Countries Over Security Concerns
WASHINGTON, Dec 5: The United States has suspended all immigration-related applications, including green cards and citizenship processing for individuals from 19 non-European countries, citing heightened national security and public safety concerns, the Trump administration announced on Wednesday.
The move affects nationals from countries already subjected to partial travel bans introduced in June, further tightening immigration rules that have been central to President Donald Trump’s political agenda. Among the countries listed are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Somalia, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Haiti, Eritrea, and Chad.
According to an official memorandum detailing the policy, the pause follows last week’s deadly attack against U.S. National Guard members in Washington, in which an Afghan national was arrested as a suspected gunman. One guard member was killed, while another remains in critical condition.
In recent days, Trump has intensified his rhetoric against immigrants from targeted nations, particularly Somalis, calling them “garbage” and declaring, “We don’t want them in our country.”
Since returning to office in January, Trump has prioritized sweeping immigration enforcement actions, deploying federal agents to U.S. cities and restricting asylum claims at the southern border. While the administration has highlighted deportations, the latest move signals a stronger push to reshape legal immigration on national security grounds, echoing criticism of former President Joe Biden’s more liberal immigration policies.
The list of 19 countries facing the new immigration pause includes those previously hit by full entry suspensions Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen as well as countries subjected to partial restrictions, such as Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Under the revised policy, all pending applications from affected nationals, including permanent residency, citizenship, adjustment of status, and other immigration benefits, will be placed on hold. Each applicant will undergo a “thorough re-review process,” which may include additional interviews or re-interviews to reassess potential national security or public safety risks.
The memorandum referenced several recent crimes allegedly linked to immigrants from banned countries, including last week’s National Guard shooting, to justify the expanded restrictions.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) said it has already received multiple reports of cancelled naturalization ceremonies, postponed interviews and halted processing for applicants tied to the 19 affected countries.
Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, AILA’s senior director for government relations, warned that the policy could leave thousands of applicants “in limbo” despite years of compliance with U.S. immigration procedures.
As of now, the administration has not indicated when the pause may be lifted or how long the enhanced security reviews will take, raising concerns among immigrant communities and advocacy groups nationwide.