US Pauses Immigration Applications from 19 Countries
The United States government has announced a temporary pause on all immigration applications — including green cards, citizenship requests, visas and asylum processing — for nationals of 19 non-European countries. The freeze follows a recent shooting involving an Afghan national in Washington, DC, which prompted concerns over national security and public safety.
What the Pause Entails
Under the new directive, pending applications from individuals born in or holding citizenship of these 19 countries will undergo a complete re-review. Final decisions on approvals or denials, citizenship ceremonies, and visa issuances have been put on hold indefinitely. The measure applies broadly across immigration benefit categories, affecting long-pending and new applications alike.
Countries Affected
The list includes countries already under prior travel-restriction orders: Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Nationals of these countries are now facing delays or suspensions in all immigration processes.
Government’s Rationale
Officials have justified the pause on grounds of national security and the need for stricter vetting. They say the re-review aims to weed out potential risks — especially in light of the recent fatal shooting involving an immigrant — and to ensure that future immigration benefits are granted only after rigorous scrutiny.
Impact and Reactions
The move has thrown thousands of immigrant applications into limbo: many green-card seekers, asylum applicants, and visa aspirants are being asked to wait indefinitely. Legal experts and immigrant-rights organizations warn that the decision could amount to broad collective punishment of individuals who have no links to the shooting — complicating lives and futures for many innocents.
Whether this pause will lead to long-term changes in U.S. immigration policy — or if it will be reversed once security concerns ease — remains uncertain.
