Move affects green cards, naturalisation cases, administration cites national security concerns
A U.S. flag sticks out from the purse of a citizen candidate attending a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization ceremony aboard the 1885 Tall Ship Wavertree at the South Street Seaport in New York City, U.S., June 14, 2023. REUTERS
The Trump administration announced a pause on all immigration applications, including green card and US citizenship processing, filed by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing national security and public safety concerns.
The suspension applies to nationals of 19 states that were already subject to a partial travel ban in June, adding a new layer of restrictions to legal immigration, a key pillar of President Donald Trump’s political agenda.
The list includes Afghanistan and Somalia. According to the official memorandum outlining the policy, the pause follows last week’s attack on US National Guard members in Washington, in which an Afghan man was arrested as a suspect. One Guard member was killed and another critically injured.
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Trump has recently escalated criticism of Somali immigrants, referring to them as “garbage” and saying “we don’t want them in our country.” In one remark referenced in the memo, he added: “With Somalia, which is barely a country, you know, they have no anything”.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has prioritised immigration enforcement, deploying federal agents to major cities and tightening asylum access at the US-Mexico border. While the administration has consistently highlighted its deportation efforts, Tuesday’s decision signals an increased focus on reshaping legal immigration under a national security framework.
The 19 countries listed in the memorandum include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, all of which faced the strictest restrictions in June, including a near-total suspension of entry with limited exceptions.
The remaining countries, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, had been subject to partial restrictions under the earlier order.
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Under the new policy, pending applications from nationals of these countries will be placed on hold. All applicants will undergo a “thorough re-review process,” which may include interviews or re-interviews to assess any potential national security or public safety risks.
The memorandum also cites several recent crimes in which suspects were immigrants, including the incident involving the National Guard.
Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the organisation had received reports of cancelled oath ceremonies, naturalisation interviews and adjustment-of-status appointments for individuals from the listed countries.
