The United States government has suspended green card and citizenship processing for citizens of 19 countries.
The temporary freeze took effect on Tuesday following an official memorandum that cited urgent national security concerns.
The suspension affects citizens of Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Venezuela, Sudan, Somalia, and thirteen other nations. It expands earlier travel restrictions introduced in June under President Donald Trump.
The new policy follows the recent shooting of two National Guard soldiers. The main suspect, an Afghan national evacuated to the US in 2021, pleaded not guilty to murder charges on Tuesday.
The memo stated that the move was necessary to strengthen America’s screening and vetting systems. It added that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services must continue to “prioritise the safety of the American people” when reviewing applications.
President Trump, who has pushed for tougher immigration rules, recently announced plans to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries” so the US system can recover.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also urged an expanded travel ban. She described many of the affected states as sources of “killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,” drawing widespread criticism.
The full list of countries includes Burundi, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Turkmenistan, in addition to the earlier six.
The memo was released as federal agents reportedly prepared a large immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.
The effort is expected to target Somali immigrants, a move that has already triggered backlash from local officials.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey vowed to defend immigrant communities.
He said the city’s commitment to Somali residents “is rock solid and will be unwavering,” despite federal actions.
The decision has sparked renewed debate over Trump’s immigration agenda, which continues to reshape US policy. Advocates warned that the freeze will disrupt thousands of families.
However, administration officials insist the move is essential to national security.