The United States has stopped processing green card and citizenship applications for citizens of 19 countries already under existing travel restrictions introduced by President Donald Trump in June.
The suspension, revealed in an official memorandum on Tuesday, affects applicants from Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Venezuela, Sudan, Somalia and several others.
You’ll notice the move fits into a broader push by senior US officials to sharply tighten immigration controls.
Their stance has hardened further following last week’s shooting of two National Guard soldiers. One of the soldiers died. The main suspect—an Afghan national evacuated to the US in 2021—has pleaded not guilty.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) defended the move, stressing the need for strict screening. The memo warned that recent events showed the consequences of weak vetting, pointing to the Minnesota shooting case.
President Trump, who campaigned on large-scale deportations, said after the incident that he plans to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries” to allow the system to reset.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem went even further, saying she recommended a “full travel ban” on countries she claimed were sending criminals and “entitlement junkies” to the US, though she did not list specific nations.
The current list of restricted countries also includes Burundi, Chad, Republic of Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Togo and Turkmenistan.
Meanwhile, US media reported that federal authorities plan a major immigration enforcement action in Minnesota targeting Somali immigrants. Local officials pushed back immediately.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the city would not support the operation, adding that its commitment to immigrant communities remains “rock solid and unwavering.”
