The administration of US President Donald Trump has ordered a sweeping pause on all immigration applications from citizens of 19 non-European countries, dramatically escalating its existing travel restrictions. The move, announced on Tuesday, effectively freezes the processing of green cards and US citizenship for individuals from these nations.
Expanding the Ban: From Travel to Full Immigration Halt
This new policy represents a significant hardening of the partial travel ban imposed on the same list of countries in June. The administration cited national security and public safety concerns as the primary justification, directly linking the decision to last week's fatal shooting of a National Guard member in Washington. An Afghan national has been arrested as a suspect in that attack.
The official memorandum mandates that all pending applications from individuals hailing from the listed countries must now undergo a thorough re-review process. This could include new interviews and security checks to assess potential threats. The list itself is divided into two tiers based on the severity of restrictions previously in place.
Countries Facing the Strictest Measures
The nations subjected to the most severe, full suspension of entries since June, and now a complete immigration processing pause, are:
- Afghanistan
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
Additional Nations Under Partial Restrictions
The following countries, which faced partial restrictions in June, are also included in the new freeze:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
Rhetoric, Enforcement, and a Shift in Focus
The policy announcement was accompanied by intensified rhetoric from President Trump. In recent days, he has disparagingly referred to Somalis and stated they are not wanted in the United States. Since returning to the White House in January, his administration has aggressively prioritised immigration enforcement, deploying federal agents to major cities and turning away asylum seekers at the southern border.
While the deportation push has been frequently highlighted, this flurry of new restrictions signals a sharpened focus on legal immigration pathways. The administration is framing this shift around protecting national security and has pointedly cast blame on the policies of former President Joe Biden.
According to reports from the New York Post, the Trump team is already considering expanding the travel ban to cover more than 30 countries. The immediate impact of Tuesday's decision is being felt on the ground. Sharvari Dalal-Dheini of the American Immigration Lawyers Association confirmed the organisation has received reports of cancelled oath ceremonies, naturalisation interviews, and status adjustment interviews for individuals from the listed countries.
This decisive action underscores the administration's commitment to making stringent immigration controls a cornerstone of its political platform, with legal immigration now squarely in its sights.
