Trump Administration Halts Immigration Applications from 19 Countries Amid Security Concerns
The Trump administration announced on Tuesday a sweeping pause on all immigration applications from nationals of 19 non-European countries, including green card approvals and U.S. citizenship processes, citing heightened national security and public safety risks.
The decision, detailed in a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memorandum, affects immigrants from nations already under partial travel bans imposed in June 2025. It mandates a “thorough re-review process” for pending cases, potentially including new interviews to evaluate threats.
The move signals a sharper focus on reshaping legal immigration, a hallmark of President Donald Trump’s agenda since his January 2025 return to office.
Countries Targeted
The list encompasses 12 nations facing the strictest prior restrictions—full entry suspensions with limited exceptions—and seven others under partial bans:
Severe restrictions (June 2025): Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen.
Partial restrictions (June 2025): Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela.
The policy halts decisions on a broad range of applications, from adjustments of status to naturalizations, while USCIS reviews cases for risks. Reports indicate immediate impacts, including canceled oath ceremonies and interviews for affected individuals.
Triggered by Recent Violence
The announcement follows last week’s deadly shooting near the White House, where Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, allegedly ambushed two National Guard members on November 26. One soldier, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, was killed, and the other remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Lakanwal, a former CIA-trained counterterrorism operative who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee in 2021 and was granted asylum in April 2025, drove from Washington state to D.C. Authorities describe the attack as stemming from a personal crisis amid cultural isolation, not radicalization.
The memo references this incident alongside other alleged crimes by immigrants, framing the pause as a direct response to vulnerabilities in the vetting system.
President Trump, in a November 26 address, called the shooting the “single greatest national security threat” and vowed to reexamine all Afghan entries under the prior Biden administration.9fdf0a
Escalating Rhetoric and Enforcement
Trump has intensified anti-immigrant messaging, particularly targeting Somalis. During a White House Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, he labeled Somali immigrants “garbage” who “do nothing but complain” and contribute little, urging them to return home and “fix” their country.
He singled out Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a Somali refugee turned U.S. citizen, calling her and her associates “garbage.”26189d Omar responded on social media, describing Trump’s fixation as “creepy” and wishing him help.
The remarks coincide with a new ICE operation in Minnesota’s Somali-heavy Minneapolis-St. Paul area, deploying 100 agents for deportations of those with final orders. This follows conservative claims of fraud in state aid programs, allegedly linked to al-Shabab funding—though unsubstantiated.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned Trump’s words as “wrong,” praising Somali contributions to the community.cff0d6
Broader Immigration Crackdown
Since January, Trump’s administration has ramped up enforcement: deploying federal agents to cities, blocking asylum seekers at the southern border, and pausing asylum decisions last week.
The State Department also halted visas for Afghan U.S. war allies, and a prior memo targeted Biden-era refugee reviews.
Critics, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association, decry the actions as “collective punishment,” disrupting lives without due process.
Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, AILA’s senior director of government relations, confirmed reports of disrupted ceremonies and interviews, urging swift legal challenges.
The pause builds on Trump’s campaign promises, including a “permanent” halt on migration from “Third World” nations, though details remain fluid.
As legal battles loom, the policy underscores a pivot toward curbing even vetted legal pathways.
