Over 1.5 Million Affected as US Suspends Immigration Activities Nationwide
The United States government has temporarily suspended all immigration-related procedures for citizens of 19 countries, a move officials say is driven by national security and public safety considerations. The decision also includes the postponement of citizenship ceremonies nationwide for eligible applicants from the affected nations.
According to The New York Times, the development could impact more than 1.5 million individuals with pending asylum requests, in addition to over 50,000 people who were granted asylum under the Biden administration.
The pause comes as President Donald Trump weighs the possibility of extending existing travel restrictions to include more than 30 countries, an expansion first reported by the New York Post.
Federal authorities linked the policy shift to last week’s incident in Washington, D.C., involving an Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was arrested in connection with the death of a National Guard member and the injury of another.
The temporary ban affects applicants from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, while limited access measures apply to individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
CBS News reports that the directive halts all immigration-related procedures involving nationals of the 19 listed countries, including the finalization of naturalization ceremonies for lawful permanent residents awaiting citizenship.
A spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Matthew Tragesser, said the administration intends to ensure that individuals entering or naturalizing in the United States meet the highest standards, emphasizing that citizenship is a privilege that comes with responsibility.
He added that authorities “will take no chances when the nation’s safety is on the line.”
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