The White House has suspended all immigration applications from 19 countries and canceled citizenship ceremonies nationwide, citing national security concerns following a recent attack in Washington, D.C.
The freeze affects more than 1.5 million people with pending asylum applications and over 50,000 who received asylum grants under the previous administration. President Trump is considering expanding the travel ban to include more than 30 countries.
The policy, announced Tuesday night, was triggered by last week’s shooting near the White House in which Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal allegedly killed National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom and wounded Andrew Wolfe. Lakanwal had been granted asylum in April after arriving during the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
The ban applies to Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
All immigration activities involving legal permanent residents from these countries have been halted, including citizenship ceremonies. According to a Department of Homeland Security memo, anyone attempting to migrate to the U.S. must undergo re-vetting, including potential interviews.
“The Trump administration is making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best,” said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Matthew Tragesser. “Citizenship is a privilege, not a right.”
Immigration attorney Todd Pomerleau said the policy will be challenged in court, calling it targeting based on nationality and origin.
Trump announced the sweeping measures last week, criticizing his predecessor for allowing unvetted migrants into America. He has intensified his rhetoric in recent days and announced plans to end federal benefits for noncitizens and deport foreign nationals deemed security risks.
Secretary of State Kristi Noem revealed plans Monday for what she called a “full travel ban” on countries sending what she termed dangerous individuals.
The Department of Homeland Security is reviewing all immigration benefits granted by the previous administration to individuals from countries of concern and may soon announce an expanded list of affected nations.
