U.S. pauses all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it is halting all immigration applications, including those for green cards and U.S. citizenship, submitted by people from 19 non-European countries, citing national security and public safety concerns.

The suspension applies to individuals from nations that were already subject to a partial travel ban introduced in June, tightening restrictions on immigration, a central pillar of President Donald Trump’s political agenda. Afghanistan and Somalia are among the affected countries.

According to the official memorandum setting out the policy, the move follows an attack on U.S. National Guard members in Washington last week, in which an Afghan national was arrested as a suspect. One guard member was killed and another critically injured in the shooting.

President Trump has recently intensified his rhetoric against Somalis, calling them “garbage” and declaring, “we don’t want them in our country.”

Since his return to office in January, Trump has made immigration enforcement a key priority, deploying federal agents to major U.S. cities and blocking asylum seekers at the U.S.–Mexico border. While his administration has frequently showcased its deportation drive, it had until now placed less emphasis on reshaping the legal immigration system.

The latest series of restrictions, introduced after the National Guard attack (26 November), signals a renewed focus on legal immigration, framed around safeguarding national security and blaming former President Joe Biden for his earlier immigration policies.

The memorandum lists Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen among the countries facing the toughest measures, including a near-total suspension on entry with limited exceptions.

Others on the list of 19 countries, previously facing partial restrictions- include Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Under the new directive, all pending applications from affected nationals are placed on hold, and applicants must undergo an additional vetting process, which may involve interviews or re-interviews to reassess any potential national security or public safety risks.

The memorandum also references several recent crimes allegedly involving immigrants, including the National Guard attack.

Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the group had received reports of cancelled naturalisation ceremonies, citizenship interviews, and adjustment-of-status appointments for individuals from countries named in the ban.

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