In a significant policy shift, the Trump administration has implemented an immediate suspension of all immigration application processing from 19 designated countries previously subject to travel restrictions. This decisive action, enacted late Tuesday, effectively halts green card and citizenship applications from affected nations including Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Yemen, Laos, and Turkmenistan.
The policy change follows a security incident in Washington D.C. where two West Virginia National Guard members were shot by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national granted asylum in the United States. The attack resulted in the death of 20-year-old US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and left 24-year-old US Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe critically wounded. Lakanwal has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges.
According to official memos, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will place all benefits requests from immigrants from these ‘high-risk’ countries on hold indefinitely. The agency will additionally re-review applications approved for immigrants who entered the United States after January 21, 2021, during the Biden administration. The suspension remains in effect until further notice from USCIS Director Joseph Edlow.
The affected countries beyond Asia include Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, and Venezuela. This action expands upon travel restrictions previously imposed by the president in June.
The memorandum explicitly states that USCIS will delay action on all asylum applications and withholding of removal requests regardless of country of origin, pending a comprehensive review process. The administration justifies these measures as necessary to enhance vetting procedures and address national security concerns, acknowledging that processing delays may occur but deeming them ‘necessary and appropriate’ given security obligations.
This policy reflects the administration’s ongoing criticism of immigrant vetting processes under previous leadership, particularly regarding programs created for Afghan allies following the 202 withdrawal and humanitarian parole initiatives for certain Latin American nationals.