The U.S. government has halted all immigration applications from 19 countries and suspended citizenship ceremonies nationwide, citing national security and public safety concerns.
According to The New York Times, the freeze could impact more than 1.5 million asylum applicants and over 50,000 individuals who received asylum under the Biden administration. Reports from the New York Post also indicate that President Donald Trump is considering expanding the travel ban to more than 30 nations.
The policy shift follows last week’s alleged terror attack in Washington, D.C., involving Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was arrested over the killing of one National Guard member and the wounding of another.
The full immigration freeze affects citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Restricted access measures also apply to applicants from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The suspension extends to all immigration-related activities, including naturalization processes involving lawful permanent residents from the affected countries, CBS News reported.
USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser defended the decision, saying:
“Citizenship is a privilege, not a right. We will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake.”
A Department of Homeland Security memo obtained by The Washington Post states that all affected applicants must undergo a fresh round of security vetting, which may include additional interviews.
The memo further grants DHS broad authority to block applicants under an expanded definition of “inadmissibility” or “ineligibility,” potentially disqualifying thousands of pending cases.
