The Trump administration has suspended processing of immigration applications, including green card requests, for people from the 19 countries targeted by its travel restrictions earlier this year, announcing broad immigration changes after the shooting of two National Guard members.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted a policy memo Tuesday saying the pause affects a wide range of immigration decisions — such as green card approvals and naturalization — for immigrants from the 19 countries the administration labels high-risk. The memo says USCIS Director Joseph Edlow will determine when to lift the suspension.
In June, the administration barred travel to the United States for citizens of 12 countries and imposed access restrictions for citizens of seven others, citing national security concerns. The full list includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen as banned; and Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela as subject to restricted access.
When the travel ban was announced, no immediate actions were taken against immigrants from those countries already in the United States. The new USCIS guidance, however, places people from those nations under additional scrutiny regardless of their arrival date.
USCIS said it will conduct a comprehensive review of all approved benefit requests for immigrants who entered the country during the Biden administration. The memo cites the Thanksgiving-week shooting near the White House, in which an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard soldiers — killing one and wounding another — as a factor prompting the pause and heightened review.
“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 agency wrote.
Within 90 days USCIS said it will compile a prioritized list of immigrants for review and, if warranted, refer cases to immigration enforcement or other law enforcement agencies.
Since the shooting, the administration has announced multiple measures to increase scrutiny of immigrants already in the country and those seeking entry. Last week USCIS’s director indicated on social media that green card applications from countries “of concern” would be reexamined; the Tuesday policy directive provides more detailed scope of who is affected.
USCIS has also paused all asylum decisions, and the State Department halted visas for Afghans who assisted U.S. forces. Days before the shooting, USCIS issued a separate memo saying it would review cases of all refugees who arrived during the Biden administration.
Critics argue the administration’s actions amount to collective punishment of immigrants.
