US Halts Immigration Applications from 19 High-Risk Nations

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a suspension of immigration applications, including green card requests, from 19 countries previously identified as high-risk. This decision follows the recent shooting of two National Guard troops near the White House, allegedly by an Afghan national.

In a policy memo released Tuesday, USCIS detailed that the pause affects a range of immigration-related processes for individuals from these nations. The agency's director, Joseph Edlow, holds the authority to determine when the suspension will be lifted.

The affected countries include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. These nations were subject to travel bans or restrictions imposed by the administration in June, citing national security concerns.

Previously, immigrants from these countries already residing in the U.S. were not impacted by the travel bans. However, the new directive indicates that all individuals from these nations, regardless of their arrival date, will now undergo additional scrutiny.

USCIS plans to conduct a comprehensive review of all approved benefit requests for immigrants who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration. The agency stated, "In light of identified concerns and the threat to the American people, USCIS has determined that a comprehensive re-review, potential interview, and re-interview of all aliens from high-risk countries of concern who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021 is necessary."

Within 90 days, USCIS intends to create a prioritized list of immigrants for review and, if necessary, refer cases to immigration enforcement or other law enforcement agencies.

This move is part of a series of actions by the administration to scrutinize immigrants already in the country and those seeking entry. Last week, USCIS announced a pause on all asylum decisions, and the State Department halted visas for Afghans who assisted the U.S. war effort.

Critics argue that these measures amount to collective punishment for immigrants from the affected countries.