US pauses all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries
The Trump administration on Tuesday announced a sweeping halt on all immigration applications filed by individuals from 19 non-European countries, effectively suspending the processing of green cards, naturalisation requests and other immigration petitions. Officials said the decision was taken over mounting concerns relating to national security and public safety, extending restrictions imposed earlier this year in what has become a defining feature of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. The suspended nations include Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Haiti, Eritrea and several others previously subjected to partial or full travel bans.
According to the official memorandum, the move comes in the aftermath of last week’s attack on US National Guard members in Washington, where an Afghan national was arrested as the primary suspect. One service member was killed while another was critically injured, prompting the White House to push for tighter oversight. President Trump has in recent days intensified his criticism of Somali immigrants in particular, using harsh language and arguing that the United States “does not want them in our country.”
Since returning to office in January, Trump has accelerated immigration enforcement measures, deploying federal agents in major US cities and sharply restricting asylum access at the US-Mexico border. The latest action signals a deeper shift toward re-evaluating legal immigration itself, with officials arguing that enhanced scrutiny is necessary to protect national security — while critics say the administration is using isolated incidents to advance broad discriminatory policies.
The list of 19 countries cited in Wednesday’s directive includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, all of which already faced stringent entry restrictions since June. Additional nations under the expanded pause are Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The policy freezes all pending applications and orders a full re-review, requiring applicants to undergo new interviews or re-interviews if authorities deem it necessary.
Officials said the memorandum referenced several recent cases in which immigrants from the listed countries were suspected of criminal activity, including the National Guard shooting. Legal organisations have reported abrupt cancellations of naturalisation appointments, oath ceremonies and interviews, with the American Immigration Lawyers Association stating that disruptions have escalated since the announcement.
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