In a bold move that’s got everyone talking, the Trump administration has slammed the brakes on immigration applications from 19 countries flagged as high-risk for national security threats.
This sweeping policy, rolled out by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), comes on the heels of a tragic Thanksgiving Eve attack in Washington, D.C., and freezes green card, citizenship, and asylum applications from nations like Afghanistan, Iran, and Somalia, with hints that the list could grow beyond 30, as New York Post reports.
The groundwork for this decision traces back to a June 4 proclamation by President Trump, which slapped travel restrictions—some full, some partial—on these same 19 nations after an antisemitic firebomb attack in Colorado, allegedly by an Egyptian national with an expired visa.
Fast forward to Thanksgiving Eve, when a horrifying shooting in D.C. left 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom dead and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe critically wounded.
The alleged shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. legally in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome and received asylum earlier this year, has become the face of what the administration calls a vetting failure.
In response, the State Department has paused visa issuance for Afghan passport holders, while USCIS issued a memo late on a Tuesday night, halting immigration processes and demanding a deep re-review of entries since January 20, 2021.
USCIS isn’t mincing words about why this is happening: “Recently, the United States has seen what a lack of screening, vetting, and prioritizing expedient adjudications can do to the American people,” the memo states.
But let’s unpack that—while the intent to protect national security is clear, the same memo admits delays in processing are inevitable, leaving countless applicants in limbo while the agency plays catch-up on vetting.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for those caught in the crosshairs, but USCIS argues the trade-off is worth it when stacked against the risk of another tragedy on American soil.
The list of 19 countries—ranging from Yemen to Venezuela—already under scrutiny might soon balloon to over 30, according to insider sources familiar with the discussions.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has reportedly pushed for this expansion during talks with Trump, signaling a broader crackdown on immigration from regions deemed problematic for public safety.
While the administration doubles down, critics will likely argue this paints entire nations with too broad a brush—yet after recent events, expect little patience for that perspective in Trump’s inner circle.
President Trump himself hasn’t held back, aiming at Somali immigrants during a cabinet meeting over a Minnesota benefit fraud case, stating, “They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country.”
That’s a raw sentiment bound to rile up detractors of progressive immigration policies, though it risks overshadowing the nuanced security concerns at play with a soundbite that’s more heat than light.
Still, for many Americans shaken by recent violence, the administration’s hardline stance—delays and all—might feel like a long-overdue recalibration of who gets to call this country home.
