Trump Administration Freezes Immigration Processing for Nationals of 19 Countries over Security Concerns
The Trump administration has enacted an immediate freeze on immigration applications from nationals of 19 countries already facing U.S. travel restrictions, a move federal officials say is aimed at reinforcing national-security protocols across the immigration system.
The directive, contained in a memo circulated Tuesday by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), halts the processing of both permanent residency and naturalization applications from affected countries.
The four-page document emphasizes that the suspension will remain in place while the agency conducts more intensive vetting procedures.
USCIS acknowledged that the decision could prolong waiting times for thousands of applicants.
However, the agency maintained that the delays are justified.
In the memo, officials argued that “processing setbacks for some applicants are a necessary and appropriate trade-off” to ensure that immigration benefits are granted only after what the agency described as “maximum-level screening.”
The measure applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and other nations already subject to entry limitations under executive actions reissued by President Trump earlier in the year.
Several other countries, including Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone and Venezuela, face additional layers of restriction under the latest guidance.
The suspension was announced in the shadow of heightened political tension following a violent incident in Washington, D.C., where two National Guard personnel were shot during patrol duty over the weekend. One service member died from her injuries, while the second remains in critical condition.
Authorities have charged an Afghan national, who legally entered the U.S. during the Biden administration and later obtained asylum under Trump’s second term, in connection with the attack.
He pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Tuesday.
The case has revived debate in Washington over screening lapses and the admission of Afghan nationals airlifted to the U.S. after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Speaking to Newsmax on Monday, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow questioned the integrity of vetting procedures used during that period, saying he did not believe “they were properly vetted.”
USCIS later amplified that sentiment on social media, writing that the agency would consider “every option” to ensure that non-citizens are vetted “to the maximum degree possible.”
Beyond the immediate impact on green card and citizenship applicants, internal estimates suggest that more than 1.4 million pending asylum cases could be indirectly affected by the processing freeze.
Officials warn that the pause may strain an already overburdened adjudication system.
The agency did not issue further clarification on Tuesday night, and a USCIS spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by NBC News.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has frequently criticized current immigration protocols, publicly urged President Trump to go even further. In a post on X, she said she favored “a full travel ban” on countries she accused of sending “killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,” rhetoric that drew immediate attention across political lines.
While the administration has not indicated plans to broaden the list beyond the 19 countries covered in the memo, senior officials suggested the situation remains fluid as security agencies continue reviewing individual cases and country-specific risk assessments.
The temporary halt marks one of the administration’s most sweeping immigration actions since Trump returned to office and sets the stage for renewed legal and political battles over the balance between national security and immigration access.
