US Halts Immigration Applications For 19 Nations

Somali community and other immigrant groups, emphasizing that local The US government has suspended immigration applications for citizens of 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Yemen, and Haiti, according to an official memorandum issued Tuesday, marking a further tightening of the nation’s migration policies.

The pause affects green card and citizenship processing for people from nations already subject to travel restrictions announced in June by President Donald Trump. Other countries on the list include Venezuela, Sudan, and Somalia. Senior US officials have indicated in recent days that immigration restrictions will be significantly tightened, following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers last week, which left one dead.

The main suspect in the attack, an Afghan national, entered the United States during mass evacuations as foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. He pleaded not guilty to murder charges on Tuesday.

The memorandum highlighted the role of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in ensuring that immigrants are properly screened and vetted to protect public safety. It cited the recent attack as evidence of the consequences of insufficient screening and prioritization of expedient adjudications.

President Trump, who campaigned on a promise to deport millions of undocumented migrants, stated on November 26 that he intended to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries to allow the US system to fully recover.”

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also recommended expanding the list of countries under the June travel restrictions, calling for a comprehensive travel ban on nations she claims have contributed to security risks, without specifying all countries. Existing restrictions already cover 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 to launch a major immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota targeting Somali immigrants, prompting resistance from local leaders. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey reaffirmed the city’s commitment to the authorities would not cooperate with any operations that violate the city’s values.