US suspends all green card applications from 19 'countries of concern'

The United States has temporarily halted all immigration applications from 19 designated "countries of concern." This includes pending green card requests, which will now undergo additional review, following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.

A memo from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted on Tuesday specifies that individuals from countries on the administration's new travel ban list currently in the U.S. will have any pending applications for asylum, green cards, or other immigration benefits paused.

A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security stated that the administration is focused on ensuring that those granted citizenship meet the highest standards, emphasizing that citizenship is a privilege and not a right. The review aims to reassess immigration benefits previously granted to nationals from these countries.

Naturalization Ceremonies Affected

Some naturalization ceremonies for individuals from the travel ban countries have already been canceled. The affected nations are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Sources familiar with USCIS internal documents indicate that the pause will remain in place until additional vetting procedures are established for applicants from these countries. ABC News reported that some swearing-in ceremonies were canceled abruptly as part of the policy's implementation.

Immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi explained that the policy was first issued on November 27, a day after the attack on the National Guard members by a suspect who entered the U.S. from Afghanistan in 2021. The policy has since been revised and expanded.

Berardi noted that USCIS has updated its Policy Manual to direct officers to consider specific "country factors" when evaluating green card applications, extensions, status changes, waivers, and certain work authorization requests. However, the informal pauses on adjudications appear to stem from internal directives rather than published policy, raising questions about transparency and legal authority.

The attorney added that these changes are likely to cause slower processing, increased scrutiny, and greater uncertainty for applicants, with potential litigation challenges expected in response.

Author: Caleb Jennings