The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to suspend immigration applications from 19 countries classified as high risk. The decision comes as a continuation of the U.S. administration’s exploitation of the shooting incident in which two National Guard soldiers were shot by an Afghan refugee in the capital, Washington, a few days ago.
According to the decision’s policy memorandum, all immigration applications submitted by nationals of 19 countries have been suspended, particularly applications for permanent residency (Green Cards), as well as citizenship applications. The memorandum noted that the authority to lift the suspension rests with the Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The new decision is the first to directly affect immigrants within the country. Previously, the Administration imposed a travel ban on nationals of 12 countries and restricted entry for nationals of seven other countries. The travel ban included nationals of Somalia, Sudan, Haiti, Libya, Yemen, Eritrea, the Congo, and Guinea.
According to USCIS, immigrants arriving from the 19 countries will undergo additional vetting, and the agency will carry out a comprehensive review of approved benefit applications for immigrants who entered the country during the previous administration.
The agency is scheduled to complete the review and additional vetting process within 90 days, following the preparation of a list of priority immigration cases. It will also refer cases found to be in violation of the law to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other law enforcement agencies.
The agency’s director stated a few days earlier that the agency would re-examine permanent residency applications submitted by applicants from high-risk countries. He also said that the agency would suspend all asylum decisions and halt the issuance of any visas to Afghans who had previously worked with the U.S. military.
