- The pause applies to countries already under a partial travel ban.
- Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen face restrictions.
- The policy requires immigrants to undergo a thorough review process.
The Trump administration said it suspended all immigration applications, including processing of green cards and U.S. citizenship, filed by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing concerns about national security and public safety.
The pause applies to people from 19 countries that were already under a partial travel ban in June, imposing new restrictions on immigration – a key part of US President Donald Trump’s policy agenda.
The list of countries includes Afghanistan and Somalia.
The official memorandum outlining the new policy cites the attack on members of the US National Guard in Washington last week, in which an Afghan man was arrested as a suspect. A member of the National Guard was killed and another seriously injured in the shooting.
Trump has also stepped up his rhetoric against Somalis in recent days, calling them “trash” and saying “we don’t want them in our country.”
Since returning to office in January, Trump has prioritized the fight against immigration, sending federal agents into major U.S. cities and turning away asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
His administration has frequently highlighted the deportation campaign, but so far has placed less emphasis on efforts to reshape legal immigration.
The wave of restrictions promised since the attack on National Guard members suggests an increased focus on legal immigration focused on protecting national security and holding former President Joe Biden accountable for his policies.
The list of countries targeted in Wednesday’s memorandum includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, which were placed under the most severe immigration restrictions in June, including a total suspension of entries with few exceptions.
Other countries on the list of 19 countries under partial restrictions in June are Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
The new policy suspends pending applications and requires that all immigrants on the country’s list “be subject to a thorough review process, including a potential interview and, if necessary, a re-interview, to fully assess all threats to national security and public safety.”
The memorandum cites several recent crimes believed to have been committed by immigrants, including the National Guard attack.
Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the organization has received reports of cancellations of oath ceremonies, naturalization interviews and adjustments to status interviews for people from countries covered by the travel ban.
