US Pauses Green Card, Citizenship Apps From 19 Nations (Image: File)
In a significant policy shift, the United States has paused all immigration applications from citizens of 19 specific countries. The move, announced Tuesday, freezes the processing of green cards and U.S. citizenship for individuals from these nations, which include Afghanistan and Somalia. The administration cites national security concerns, directly referencing a recent deadly attack on National Guard members in Washington.
The policy targets 19 countries already under partial U.S. travel restrictions. The administration has now halted all immigrant visa and adjustment of status processing for these nations.
The list includes countries that faced the most severe restrictions since June:
It also includes nations that were under partial restrictions:
Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The official memorandum states immigrants from these countries must now "undergo a thorough re-review process," including potential new interviews, to assess security threats.
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The administration directly linked the decision to the killing of a National Guard member in Washington last week, for which an Afghan man has been arrested. The policy memorandum cites this attack and other recent crimes suspected to have been committed by immigrants.
President Trump has also intensified his rhetoric, recently calling Somalis “garbage” and stating “we don’t want them in our country.” Since returning to office, his focus had been on border enforcement and deportations. This move signals a major expansion of his immigration agenda to now heavily restrict legal immigration pathways.
The policy places an immediate hold on all pending applications. Reports from immigration lawyers indicate cancelled oath ceremonies, naturalization interviews, and adjustment of status interviews for affected individuals.
Sharvari Dalal-Dheini of the American Immigration Lawyers Association confirmed the organization is receiving reports of these cancellations. The delay is an indefinite administrative hold rather than a denial, exposing each application to a fresh, improved security evaluation with no set deadline.
A: All immigration applications, including those for U.S. citizenship (naturalization) and lawful permanent residence (green cards), for people from the 19 named nations are suspended.
A: No, it is currently a pause and a mandatory "re-review" of all pending cases. However, it effectively halts all processing indefinitely for applicants from these nations.
A: Yes. Both those applying for citizenship and those within the United States seeking to change their status to permanent residence are affected by the policy. It is not merely a travel ban.
A: The administration's memorandum explicitly cites the recent attack on National Guard members in Washington, along with other crimes, as justification for the enhanced security reviews.
A: The earlier restrictions primarily limited entrance to the U.S. This new policy goes one step further by prohibiting the processing of citizenship and permanent status applications that are already in the system, even for those who are lawfully resident in the nation.The earlier restrictions primarily limited entrance to the U.S. This new policy goes one step further by prohibiting the processing of citizenship and permanent status applications that are already in the system, even for those who are lawfully resident in the nation.
