Trump Administration Pauses Immigration Applications for 19 Countries Under Travel Bans
- The Trump administration paused immigration applications for people from 19 countries already under travel bans
- USCIS said the move followed the shooting of two National Guard troops by an Afghan national near the White House
- The policy memo outlined sweeping changes, including re-review of green card and asylum cases from high-risk nations
The Trump administration announced that it was pausing all immigration applications, including green card requests, for people from 19 countries already subject to travel bans earlier this year.
The decision was outlined in a policy memo posted Tuesday on the website of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency responsible for processing immigration benefits.
Source: Getty Images
According to AP, officials said the pause would affect a wide range of immigration-related decisions, including naturalisations and green card applications. The memo stated that it would be up to USCIS director Joseph Edlow to decide when the pause would be lifted.
Travel ban and restricted access countries
In June, the administration banned travel to the United States for citizens of 12 countries, citing national security concerns. These included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Restricted access was also imposed on citizens from seven other nations: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
At the time of the ban, immigrants from those countries who were already in the U.S. were not affected. However, the new USCIS directive means that those individuals will now face extra scrutiny, regardless of when they arrived.
USCIS cites National Guard shooting
The agency linked the decision to the shooting of two National Guard troops during Thanksgiving week near the White House. The suspect was identified as an Afghan national. One soldier was killed and another wounded in the incident.
USCIS said: “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.”
The memo added that within 90 days the agency would create a prioritised list of immigrants for review and, if necessary, refer cases to immigration enforcement or other law enforcement agencies.
Source: Getty Images
Wider immigration changes
Since the shooting, the administration has announced several measures to tighten scrutiny of immigrants. Last week, USCIS said it was pausing all asylum decisions, while the State Department confirmed it was halting visas for Afghans who assisted the U.S. war effort.
Days before the shooting, USCIS had already signalled in a separate memo that it would review the cases of all refugees who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration.
USCIS director Joseph Edlow also stated in a social media post that his agency would be reexamining green card applications for people from countries “of concern.” The Tuesday directive went further, laying out in detail the scope of who would be affected.
Criticism of immigration policy
Critics argued that the administration’s actions amounted to collective punishment for immigrants. Advocacy groups said the measures unfairly targeted people based on nationality rather than individual circumstances.
The administration maintained that the changes were necessary to protect national security and prevent further threats to the American people.
US mentions 19 countries whose green cards will be re-examined
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Donald Trump administration announced that it would reexamine all green cards issued to people from 19 countries identified as nations “of concern.”
According to CNN, the move followed the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, allegedly carried out by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national.
Joe Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), wrote on X Thursday: “At the direction of @POTUS, I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”
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Source: Legit.ng
