The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced a temporary suspension of immigration applications from nationals of 19 countries already affected by existing US travel restrictions. The directive, issued on Tuesday, affects both green card and citizenship applications, according to the agency.
Okay News reports that the four-page memo explained the measure is aimed at strengthening security screenings. “USCIS has considered that this direction may result in a delay to the adjudication of some pending applications. Ultimately, USCIS has determined that the burden of processing delays that will fall on some applicants is necessary and appropriate in this instance, when weighed against the agency’s obligation to protect and preserve national security,” the document stated.
The pause impacts applicants from countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, which are under full or partial entry bans enacted by President Donald Trump in June 2025. Additional restrictions apply to citizens from Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, and Venezuela.
The announcement comes days after a deadly shooting involving two National Guard members in Washington, DC. An Afghan national, who entered the country legally under the previous administration, has been charged with the attack that killed one soldier and critically injured another. The suspect, who had been granted asylum under Trump’s current administration, pleaded not guilty.
USCIS officials caution that over 1.4 million pending asylum cases may be affected by the suspension. Agency Director Joseph Edlow criticized past vetting processes for Afghan nationals admitted after the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan. “I do not believe they were properly vetted,” Edlow said in an interview. The agency reinforced this stance on social media: “Nothing is off the table until every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also called for stricter measures, urging the president to extend the restrictions. She wrote on social media: “I recommended a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”
