The US government has declared a suspension on all immigration applications, encompassing green cards and US citizenship, for individuals from 19 non-European nations, citing concerns related to national security and public safety.
The policy impacts countries that experienced partial travel bans in June, intensifying the administration’s stance on immigration.
Among the nations listed are Afghanistan, Somalia, and 16 others.
An official memorandum connects the decision to the recent assault on US National Guard members in Washington DC, where an Afghan man was apprehended as a suspect. One National Guard member lost their life, while another sustained critical injuries.
Donald Trump has recently condemned Somalis, labeling them as “garbage” and asserted that “we don’t want them in our country.”
Since resuming office in January, he has prioritized immigration enforcement, deploying federal agents to major US cities and denying asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border.
The memorandum indicates a stronger emphasis on legal immigration, framing it as an issue of national security while placing the blame for current policies on former President Joe Biden.
Countries that have faced the most stringent restrictions in June including a complete halt on entries with limited exceptions are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Additional countries impacted by the pause, which were previously under partial restrictions, consist of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The new policy halts pending applications and mandates that all immigrants from these nations undergo a comprehensive re-review process, which may include an interview and, if needed, a follow-up interview to thoroughly evaluate any national security and public safety risks.
The memorandum further references crimes allegedly perpetrated by immigrants, including the assault on National Guard members.
Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, noted that the organization has received notifications of cancelled oath ceremonies, naturalization interviews, and adjustment of status interviews for individuals from the countries affected by the travel ban.