Police officers block a street as demonstrators march at a protest opposing “Operation Midway Blitz” and the presence of ICE, Sept. 9, 2025, in Chicago.
The Trump administration has announced a nationwide pause on immigration applications for migrants from 19 travel-ban countries, expanding its earlier restrictions into a broader policy shift. The halt affects green card requests, naturalizations, and other immigration benefits for individuals already living in the United States.
The updated directive appears in a new policy memo posted Tuesday by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The agency said the suspension is part of sweeping immigration changes enacted after the Thanksgiving week shooting that killed one National Guard soldier near the White House.
USCIS Pauses Immigration Benefits for Travel-Ban Nations
The memo confirms that immigration cases from these 19 countries — previously identified as “high-risk” — are now on hold. The pause includes decisions on green cards, naturalizations, and other immigration benefits.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow will determine when the pause is lifted. Until then, immigrants from these nations face delays and new layers of scrutiny.
The travel restrictions were first announced in June, blocking entry for citizens of 12 countries and tightening access for seven others, citing national security concerns.
List of Impacted Nations
The original travel ban affected:
- Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen
The restricted access list included: - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela
At the time, the administration said immigrants from those countries already in the U.S. would not be targeted. That position has now shifted dramatically.
Immigrants Already in the U.S. Face New Scrutiny
The new USCIS directive extends additional review to all immigrants from these 19 nations, regardless of how long they have lived in the country.
USCIS says it will conduct a comprehensive re-review of all approved benefit requests for individuals who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration.
The decision was prompted by the shooting of two National Guard troops allegedly committed by an Afghan national, with the agency citing the incident as evidence of broader security concerns.
The memo states:
“In light of identified concerns and the threat to the American people, USCIS has determined that a comprehensive re-review … is necessary.”
90-Day Review Plan and Possible Enforcement Referrals
USCIS will create a prioritized list of cases within 90 days. These cases could be referred to immigration enforcement or other law enforcement agencies if concerns arise.
The move comes as part of a rapid series of actions taken by the administration following the shooting.
Broader Immigration Crackdown Accelerates
Last week, the USCIS director said the agency would reassess green card applications from countries “of concern.” The newly released directive provides greater detail and casts a wider net.
Recent actions include:
- A pause on all asylum decisions
- A suspension of visas for Afghans who assisted U.S. forces
- A separate review of all refugees who entered the country during the Biden administration
The series of sweeping measures marks one of the administration’s most aggressive immigration crackdowns since the travel ban was reinstated.
Critics Condemn Policy as “Collective Punishment”
Immigration advocates have sharply criticized the administration’s latest moves. They argue the halt punishes immigrants solely based on nationality and uses a single violent incident to justify broad-scale restrictions.
Critics say the policy amounts to collective punishment, affecting thousands who have followed legal immigration processes for years.
Despite mounting pushback, the administration continues to defend the new measures as necessary steps to protect national security and reassess prior immigration approvals.
