New Policy Follows National Guard Shooting and Expands Earlier Travel Restrictions
The Trump administration has halted all immigration decisions — including green card and naturalization requests — for people from 19 previously restricted countries, according to a new policy memo from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The directive significantly broadens the impact of the administration’s earlier travel bans by applying new scrutiny to individuals already living inside the United States.
The memo states that immigration benefits for citizens of these countries will remain paused until USCIS Director Joseph Edlow lifts the freeze. It comes in the wake of the Thanksgiving week shooting near the White House that killed one National Guard soldier and injured another. The suspect is an Afghan national, and the administration said the incident raised concerns that required immediate policy action.
Who Is Affected by the Pause
The travel restrictions first imposed in June targeted citizens of 12 countries fully banned from travel to the U.S. — including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen — and seven others with limited access, such as Cuba, Laos, Venezuela and Sierra Leone.
Previously, those already in the U.S. before the ban took effect were not impacted. The new directive changes that. USCIS will now conduct a comprehensive review of all approved or pending immigration applications for individuals from these countries who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021. This includes green cards, family-based petitions, naturalization applications and other immigration benefits.
The memo says the agency will determine whether cases require interviews, re-interviews or referrals to immigration enforcement or federal law enforcement. A prioritized list of cases for review is expected within 90 days.
Expanded Scrutiny Across Multiple Immigration Channels
The pause is the latest in a series of actions taken since the shooting. USCIS had already announced a halt to asylum decisions, while the State Department temporarily stopped issuing visas for Afghans who assisted the U.S. military. Another recent directive ordered a full review of refugee cases admitted during the Biden administration.
Officials say these steps are necessary to address security risks. “In light of identified concerns and the threat to the American people,” USCIS wrote, broad reassessment of cases was required to ensure national safety.
However, critics argue the policy amounts to collective punishment of immigrants who are not accused of wrongdoing. Advocacy groups say the move will create severe backlogs, leave families in limbo and impose sweeping restrictions based on nationality rather than individual circumstances.
What Comes Next
The directive leaves uncertainty for thousands of immigrants whose cases were already in progress. Many applicants face indefinite delays as USCIS reevaluates previously approved benefits and scrutinizes new filings. The administration has not indicated when the pause might be lifted.
The policy underscores a rapidly escalating shift in U.S. immigration enforcement following the National Guard shooting. With multiple agencies now reevaluating immigration pathways, the coming months are expected to bring further changes affecting applicants both abroad and inside the country.
