Topline
In a recent development, U.S. immigration authorities have temporarily halted immigration applications from 19 countries previously included in the Trump administration’s travel ban. This decision follows President Donald Trump’s recent declaration to “permanently pause migration” from nations he termed “Third World Countries.”
On Tuesday evening, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it would suspend all “benefit applications” from these 19 “high risk” nations while conducting a “comprehensive review.”
The countries affected by this pause have already been under U.S. travel restrictions due to an executive order Trump signed in June. This suspension extends to individuals from these countries currently residing in the U.S. as well.
This freeze will impact various immigration processes, such as Green Card applications and naturalization procedures for immigrants from the specified countries.
The announcement also stated that USCIS is halting all asylum case decisions, echoing a statement made by the agency’s director, Joseph Edlow, the previous week.
The suspension will remain in place until Edlow decides to revoke it with a future memorandum, as noted in the notification.
The pause will remain in effect until Edlow decides to lift it “through a subsequent memorandum,” the notification added.
Tangent
The notification also mentioned that the USCIS will carry out a “comprehensive re-review” of immigration benefit requests for immigration from the 19 countries who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration. “In light of identified concerns and the threat to the American people, USCIS has determined that a comprehensive re-review, potential interview, and re-interview of all aliens from high-risk countries of concern who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021 is necessary,” the notification said.
