Trump administration policies are now putting thousands of immigration applications on hold, as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a major pause for people from 19 countries previously deemed high-risk. The suspension affects green card requests, naturalization cases, and other immigration benefits.
The policy was detailed in a memo posted Tuesday on the USCIS website. Joseph Edlow, the agency’s director, will decide when the pause is lifted. The move marks a sharp escalation in oversight for immigrants tied to countries restricted earlier this year.
In June, the administration blocked travel from 12 nations and imposed stricter access rules on seven others, citing national security concerns. The travel ban included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additional restrictions applied to Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
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Previously, immigrants already living in the U.S. were not affected, but the new guidance extends heightened scrutiny to those residents, regardless of their arrival date. USCIS said it would review all “approved benefit requests” for people who entered during the Biden administration.
The memo links the intensified reviews to a Thanksgiving week shooting near the White House, which left one National Guard service member dead and another injured. Authorities said the suspect was an Afghan national. USCIS explained, “In light of identified concerns and the threat to the American people, USCIS has determined that a comprehensive re-review, potential interview, and re-interview of all aliens from high-risk countries of concern who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021 is necessary.”
USCIS also said it will develop a prioritized list of individuals for review within 90 days, which could include referrals to immigration enforcement or other agencies. The directive follows a series of rapid policy decisions since the shooting, targeting both immigrants already in the country and prospective arrivals.
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Last week, Edlow announced on social media that his agency would reexamine green card applications from countries “of concern,” but the latest memo expands the scope and clarifies who will be affected. The agency has also paused all asylum rulings, while the State Department halted visas for Afghans who assisted U.S. forces.
Days before the shooting, USCIS had announced a separate review of all refugees admitted during the Biden administration. Critics, according to AP’s report, argue these moves amount to collective punishment, unfairly targeting entire nationalities.
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