US green card, asylum cases paused for 19 nations under new Trump order

The Trump administration has ordered an immediate stop to all immigration applications from nationals of 19 travel-ban countries, prompting green card and citizenship setbacks

The Donald Trump administration on Tuesday ordered an immediate pause on all immigration applications filed by nationals of 19 countries previously placed under a United States travel ban, leading to widespread cancellations of green card interviews and naturalisation ceremonies. The step follows a string of rapid moves taken after last week’s shooting near the White House and has extended the administration’s post-attack security response.

 

What is driving the new immigration pause?

 

The suspension comes only days after two National Guard members were shot near the White House in Washington. Authorities have linked the incident to Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan man who obtained asylum in April. Following the attack, the administration introduced tougher vetting measures and indicated that more restrictions could follow.

 

 

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesperson Matthew Tragesser defended the pause. “The Trump administration is making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best. Citizenship is a privilege, not a right,” the New York Times quoted Tragesser. “We will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake.”

 

Which countries are affected, and is India included?

 

The freeze applies to nationals of the 19 countries named in the June travel ban. Reports say the list includes Iran, Sudan, Eritrea, Haiti, Somalia, Venezuela and several other low-income or conflict-affected nations.

 

India is not part of the travel-ban group and is therefore not affected by this pause. Indian applicants for US green cards, H-1B status adjustments, American citizenship and other immigration benefits should not see cancellations linked to this specific action. 

 

In posts on X (formerly Twitter), Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, described the breadth of the decision. “What this means in practice is that Cubans, Venezuelans, Haitians, and nationals of 16 other countries now will be unable to acquire any immigration benefit during until the USCIS Director lifts this hold — including people who were days away from become US citizens,” said Reichlin-Melnick.

 

He also warned that past approvals could be revisited. “In addition, 500,000 people from those 19 countries who got green cards during the Biden admin, plus tens of thousands who got asylum or refugee status, as well as many others who received other benefits, now have to worry about potentially being called back in for a ‘re-review’.”

 

Reichlin-Melnick added that the pause could hit applicants trying to maintain legal status. “One other very important aspect of this ‘pause’ on adjudication. It would seemingly apply to applications for people to change or extend a current nonimmigrant status, meaning some people could inadvertently become visa overstays even though they're trying to do the right thing,” he said. 

 

Some long-time US residents reported that their citizenship oath ceremonies had been cancelled. “Multiple people today had their oath ceremonies cancelled and weren’t given a new date,” he said.  US Issues Ban: Here’s the Complete List of 19 Non-European Countries 

• Afghanistan
• Myanmar (Burma)
• Chad
• Republic of the Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Libya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen
• Burundi
• Cuba
• Laos
• Sierra Leone
• Togo
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela

 

What happens next?

 

Homeland Security officials indicated that the freeze is the first stage of a broader security review. Agencies are now examining:

 

• Green cards issued to nationals of the 19 countries

• Asylum cases approved during recent years

• Further restrictions on travel and status adjustments

 

Officials have suggested that the pause may remain in place for an extended period as the review progresses.

 

More than 1.5 million asylum applications were already pending before the new measures, along with over 50,000 individuals who received asylum in recent years.