The Trump administration has decided to pause all immigration applications, including green card requests, for individuals from 19 countries deemed high-risk. This decision comes in response to national security concerns following a tragic incident where two National Guard troops were shot, one fatally, by an Afghan national near the White House during Thanksgiving week.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced this pause in a policy memo released on a Tuesday, indicating the agency's commitment to conducting thorough reviews of immigration-related decisions involving applicants from these countries. The 19 countries affected by the travel ban include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, as well as additional restrictions placed on individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
According to the policy memo, the length of the pause will be determined by the USCIS director, Joseph Edlow. The memo specifies that this suspension encompasses a broad spectrum of immigration matters, particularly focusing on green card applications and naturalizations for those already present in the United States. Notably, while earlier measures did not target immigrants already residing in the U.S. prior to the implementation of the travel ban, the new guidelines indicate heightened scrutiny for those who arrived on or after January 20, 2021.
In light of the aforementioned shooting incident, which prompted this reassessment of immigration cases, the USCIS emphasized the urgency of re-evaluating previously approved immigration benefits for individuals from high-risk countries. The agency plans to compile a prioritized list of immigrants requiring review within the next 90 days. This could lead to potential referrals of certain cases to immigration enforcement or law enforcement agencies, depending on the findings of said reviews.
Following the shooting, the administration has instituted several policies aimed at tightening scrutiny on immigrants both within the U.S. and those seeking entry. Recently, the USCIS director conveyed through social media that the agency would be reexamining green card applications specifically for those from "countries of concern." The recent policy directive, however, advances this initiative by outlining the scope and extent of the individuals impacted.
In conjunction with the immigration application pause, USCIS has also suspended all asylum decisions. Meanwhile, the State Department has announced the cessation of visas for Afghan nationals who played supportive roles during the U.S. war efforts. Notably, days before this shooting incident, USCIS had indicated its intention to review the cases of all refugees who entered the country under the Biden administration.
Critics of the Trump administration have voiced concerns that these measures amount to collective punishment for immigrants hailing from the affected nations. The approaches taken by the administration continue to stir vigorous debate regarding their implications for U.S. immigration policy and the treatment of immigrants amidst ongoing national security discussions.
