United States Freezes Immigration for Citizens of 19 Countries,
he Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has intensified its immigration enforcement measures following the fatal shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national near the White House just days before Thanksgiving. The move marks one of the broadest legal-immigration freezes implemented under the Trump administration to date.
In a memo circulated Tuesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an immediate pause on reviewing all pending applications for green cards, citizenship, and asylum filed by immigrants from 19 countries, all of which were previously designated under a travel ban announced earlier this year.
Sweeping Halt on Legal Immigration Processing
The pause affects immigrants from both the 12 countries placed under a full travel ban in June — including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen — and seven additional nations that were subjected to partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
According to the memo, USCIS will also re-review and re-interview individuals from these 19 countries whose cases were approved as far back as 2021, potentially reopening completed cases for additional vetting.
A DHS spokesperson, responding to NPR, defended the expansion of scrutiny, saying the administration was “making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best.”
“Citizenship is a privilege, not a right. We will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake,” the spokesperson said, adding that immigration benefits granted during the previous administration would undergo extensive evaluation — particularly for individuals from what officials call “Countries of Concern.”
Refugee Cases Also Under Renewed Scrutiny
The directive follows an earlier USCIS announcement in November that refugee admissions granted under the Biden administration would be reopened for a comprehensive review. A memo issued on November 21 warned that some refugees may be required to sit for new interviews and could, in some cases, lose their legal status.
The latest guidance signals an escalation — now targeting not only future applicants but also thousands of immigrants already living legally in the United States.
Shooting Near White House Triggered Policy Escalation
The policy shift comes in response to the killing of two National Guard members near the White House. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, was charged with first-degree murder following the attack. Lakanwal had initially arrived in the U.S. under a temporary humanitarian parole program, later receiving asylum earlier this year.
The incident has intensified political pressure on DHS to strengthen vetting processes, even for immigrants who have followed standard legal pathways.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the agency would temporarily halt all asylum processing nationwide, citing a growing humanitarian backlog of more than one million pending cases.
Nationwide Impact and Uncertain Timelines
The freeze affects thousands of immigrants currently awaiting decisions on naturalization, permanent residency, and asylum claims. Interviews have already been postponed, and previously approved cases are expected to face new rounds of vetting.
USCIS has not provided a timeline for when application reviews may resume, leaving many immigrants in limbo as the administration continues its sweeping reevaluation of legal immigration programs.
As DHS tightens its post-shooting security posture, advocacy groups warn that the measures effectively amount to a broad shutdown of legal immigration for nationals of the 19 countries — many of whom have lived, worked, or sought protection in the United States for years.
