Uncertainty deepens as U.S. freezes Green Card and citizenship applications for 19 countries

The Trump administration has halted all immigration applications, including green cards and U.S. citizenship petitions filed by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing heightened national security and public safety concerns, Reuters reported.

The suspension applies to immigrants from 19 nations that were already subject to partial travel restrictions imposed in June, marking a significant escalation of a core pillar of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.

Countries affected include Afghanistan, Somalia and several others previously flagged for enhanced scrutiny.

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According to the official memorandum detailing the new directive, the administration referenced last week’s attack on U.S. National Guard members in Washington, in which an Afghan man was arrested as a suspect.

One Guard member was killed and another critically injured in the shooting, an incident the memo identifies as a catalyst for tightening controls.

In recent days, Trump has intensified his rhetoric toward Somali immigrants, referring to them as “garbage” and declaring that “we don’t want them in our country,” Reuters noted.

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Since returning to office in January, Trump has sharply prioritised immigration enforcement, deploying federal agents to major cities and turning away asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. While his administration has heavily publicised deportation efforts, it has placed comparatively less emphasis on reshaping legal immigration until now.

The series of new restrictions introduced following the attack suggests a renewed focus on curbing legal immigration, framed by the administration as necessary for national security and used to criticise the policies of former President Joe Biden.

The 19 affected countries fall into two categories:•

Full restrictions (June list): Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Partial restrictions (June list): Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

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Under the new policy, all pending immigration applications from individuals in these countries are paused, and applicants must undergo a “comprehensive re-review”, which may include a new interview or re-interview to reassess any potential national security or public safety risks.

The memorandum also referenced several recent crimes allegedly involving immigrants, including the National Guard shooting.

Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, told Reuters that the group has already received reports of cancelled oath ceremonies, naturalisation interviews and adjustment-of-status appointments for applicants from the affected countries.