Temporary suspension of all U.S. immigration applications from citizens of 19 countries

List of 19 countries

According to federal officials, these 19 countries have been prohibited by Washington from submitting applications for status with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) since June. The current list includes: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Previously, CNN reported that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem had recommended that the White House expand the travel ban list to 30–32 countries, a significant increase from the current 19. The proposal was made after a shooting in Washington, D.C. left one National Guard soldier dead and another seriously injured. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is an Afghan national who had worked with the United States and was granted refugee status in an earlier period.

In the context of tightening immigration policies, the Trump Administration has also requested a review of all green cards issued to citizens of the 19 restricted countries. USCIS is permitted to treat “country-specific factors” as substantial negative elements during case adjudication. The Department of Homeland Security at the same time announced a review of all refugee cases approved during the tenure of former President Joe Biden.

USCIS subsequently further announced the suspension of all decisions related to refugee status “until ensuring all cases are examined at the highest level of scrutiny.” President Trump has also left open the possibility of “permanently halting” the admission of immigrants from countries he refers to as the “third world,” though no specific list has been provided.

Mass visa revocation after attack near the White House

In an official statement to the press on 1 December, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the Administration of President Donald Trump is taking drastic steps to tighten domestic security.

Accordingly, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has exercised his special authority to review and revoke visas of immigrants lawfully residing in the United States but identified as posing risks to the country.

A White House representative emphasized the current administration’s tough stance that the individuals subject to visa revocation “should never have been permitted to enter in the first place”.

Ms. Leavitt also affirmed that the U.S. State Department has significantly tightened the visa screening process, aiming to close loopholes in vetting and prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future.

This strong action was taken in the context of the United States still reeling from a shooting on 26 November at a sensitive location approximately 300 meters from the White House. The suspect in the attack, who opened fire and injured two National Guard soldiers, one of whom later died, has been identified as an Afghan national.