Trump freezes US citizenship, green card processing for 19 nations, moves to add 30 more

The administration of US President Donald Trump has ordered an immediate freeze on all immigration applications from 19 countries, while also preparing to expand the travel ban to cover more than 30 nations, a move officials say is driven by national security concerns.

The sweeping restriction, which took effect on Tuesday, suspends all processing of green cards, citizenship applications and asylum filings for immigrants from countries already under partial travel limits since June.

According to The New York Times, over 1.5 million asylum seekers and about 50,000 recent asylum grantees could be affected.

The White House directive follows last week’s attack near the White House, where two National Guard members were shot, one fatally. Authorities arrested Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, as the suspected gunman.

The latest freeze targets citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, while restricted access applies to Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

The measure also halts citizenship ceremonies for legal residents from the affected nations.

USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said the move is aimed at ensuring that those seeking citizenship are “the best of the best,” insisting that “citizenship is a privilege, not a right.”

A leaked Department of Homeland Security memo indicates that anyone from the 19 countries must undergo fresh vetting, potentially including new interviews and background reviews.

“This memorandum mandates a thorough re-review to assess all national security and public safety threats,” the document states.

Immigration lawyers are already preparing lawsuits. Attorney Todd Pomerleau criticised the decision as targeting individuals based on birthplace, nationality and religion, adding that court challenges will come “before the ink is dry.”

President Trump, in recent days, has intensified attacks on the previous Biden administration, accusing it of bringing in unvetted migrants — including the Afghan suspect — during the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Kabul.

He also declared that he will “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries” to reset the US immigration system, calling for what he described as “reverse migration” and vowing to strip federal benefits from non-citizens and deport individuals considered security risks or “non-compatible with Western civilization.”

Secretary of State Kristi Noem reinforced the message on Monday, announcing plans for a “full travel ban” on countries she said were sending “killers, leeches and entitlement junkies.”

Federal officials say the new restriction is the beginning of a “full scale, rigorous” overhaul that could expand the travel ban list to over 30 countries.

Last week’s shooting left 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom dead, while 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe fights for his life. The suspect, Lakanwal, reportedly entered the US in 2021 as part of the emergency evacuation that saw hundreds of Afghans crammed into military cargo jets during the fall of Kabul.