US Halts Immigration Processing For Citizens Of 19 Nations

The United States Government has temporarily suspended green card and citizenship applications for citizens of 19 countries.

Among the affected countries include Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Venezuela, Sudan, and Somalia, according to an official memorandum released Tuesday.

The move expands existing travel restrictions introduced in June under President Donald Trump.

The memorandum cited national security concerns following the recent shooting of two National Guard soldiers, in which the main suspect, an Afghan national, was involved.

The suspect, who pleaded not guilty to murder charges on Tuesday, had entered the US during the 2021 evacuations from Afghanistan.

“USCIS plays an instrumental role in preventing terrorists from seeking safe haven in the United States and ensuring that screening, vetting, and adjudications prioritise the safety of the American people,” the memo stated, highlighting the need for stricter immigration controls.

Trump, who has long advocated for the deportation of undocumented migrants, announced on November 26 plans to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries to allow the US system to fully recover.”

Homeland Security Secretary’s Kristi Noem, also called for expanding the list of countries subject to travel restrictions, describing them as sources of “killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”

The affected nations, in addition to those previously mentioned, include Burundi, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Turkmenistan.

The memorandum came as federal authorities reportedly prepare a major immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota targeting Somali immigrants, drawing criticism from local leaders.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey affirmed the city’s commitment to protecting immigrant communities, saying, “Our values and our commitments to the Somali community, to every community of immigrants and people in our city, is rock solid and will be unwavering.”