US Immigration Suspension: Trump Administration Halts Requests from 19 Countries
The administration of US President Donald Trump has suspended all immigration requests from citizens of 19 countries, in a sweeping measure that was not previously announced. This decision comes after a shooting incident targeted two National Guard members near the White House last week.
Internal documents obtained by the "CBS News" network revealed that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) ordered its staff to "suspend final decisions on all cases" concerning citizens of countries included in the travel ban decree issued in June.
Affected Countries and Request Types
The suspension affects all types of requests without exception, including naturalization ceremonies for permanent residents who were about to become US citizens. The guidelines indicate that this halt is a "temporary measure" pending the establishment of new security screening rules.
The list of countries subject to restrictions includes:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen In addition to partial restrictions on:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela Officials confirm that the list could expand to reach around 30 countries.
Scope of the Suspension
The documents specify that the suspension decision covers all categories:
- Permanent residence applications (Green Card)
- Naturalization applications
- Asylum applications
- Immigration visas of all kinds It also applies to those who entered the US at any period, not just new arrivals.
Background and New Policy
These measures follow the revelation that the suspect in the attack against the National Guard (an Afghan refugee) entered the US in 2021 under the Biden administration and obtained asylum in April 2025 after Trump's return to the presidency.
The USCIS also issued an official note dated December 2, outlining three key steps:
- Suspension of asylum applications for all nationalities pending a comprehensive review
- Halt of all immigration requests from the 19 countries, regardless of the entry date
- Re-examination of approved cases for citizens of these countries after January 2021
The new policy states that all affected individuals will undergo a "thorough review," including new interviews if necessary, to ensure the absence of security, criminal, or other "grounds of ineligibility" risks.
