The administration of former President Donald Trump has ordered an immediate halt to all immigration applications from 19 specific countries, a dramatic move triggered by the recent shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C.
Direct Response to Security Threat
This significant policy shift was enacted on Wednesday 3 December 2025. The directive from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) mandates a complete 'comprehensive re-review' and an 'adjudicative hold' on every pending asylum and immigration benefit request from the listed nations. The action directly impacts individuals from those countries who are seeking green cards or U.S. citizenship.
The countries affected include Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, among others. These nations were previously subject to travel restrictions. In justifying the move, Trump controversially claimed people were entering the US from what he termed the 'Fourth World'.
Political Backing and Legal Concerns
The decision received strong public support from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. She called for a sweeping travel ban on countries she accused of 'flooding our nation with killers' – a social media post later shared by the president himself.
However, immigration lawyers have swiftly raised major concerns. They warn this blanket pause will severely exacerbate the existing, massive backlog within the immigration system. Over a million people are already awaiting decisions on their asylum applications, and this freeze adds indefinite uncertainty for thousands more.
Wider Implications and Backlog Fears
The immediate consequence is a total standstill for applicants from the 19 nations. Legal experts argue that while national security is paramount, such a broad suspension punishes all applicants indiscriminately and undermines the legal immigration framework.
The move signals a return to a hardline stance on immigration, using a specific security incident to enact wide-ranging policy. The focus now turns to how long this 'adjudicative hold' will remain in place and what the criteria will be for the promised re-review, with significant delays now inevitable for countless families and individuals.
