US Halts Immigration Procedures for Citizens of 19 Countries

The Trump administration has suspended all immigration procedures for citizens of 19 countries located outside Europe. The suspension includes Green Card processing, naturalisation, and all forms of legal immigration. According to the administration, the decision has been implemented due to concerns over national and public security.

These countries had been placed under partial travel restrictions in June. The new directive expands and strengthens those restrictions. The affected countries include Afghanistan, Somalia, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The policy states that all pending applications from these countries will be subject to review. Applicants may be required to attend interviews or reinterviews if deemed necessary. The administration’s explanation referenced an incident in Washington where an Afghan national carried out an attack that resulted in the death of a US National Guard member and injury to another.

The administration has also delivered strong remarks concerning Somali nationals. The American Immigration Lawyers Association reported that naturalisation ceremonies, interviews, and status adjustment interviews for nationals of the listed countries have been cancelled.

Since returning to office for a second term, Trump has taken a strict stance on immigration enforcement. Beyond intensifying actions against undocumented immigrants, the administration is now targeting legal immigration structures as well. It argues that restricting legal immigration is essential for national security and attributes the current situation to the policies of former President Joe Biden.

Source: Reuters

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