According to an article in the New York Times, the United States has suspended immigration applications. It also includes petitions for citizenship and green cards for individuals from 19 nations already subject to a travel restriction during the Trump administration. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has mandated a complete halt while the government examines it’s screening processes. Agency representatives told the newspaper.
The freeze affects applicants from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Somalia, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The action was taken a few days after President Donald Trump, citing the shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, D.C., promised to pause all immigration from those nations. Charges have been brought against the alleged gunman. He is an Afghan who previously served with the CIA during the US war in Afghanistan. One of the guards died, and the other remains in critical condition.
What is causing the new immigration pause?
The ban comes days after 2 National Guard men were shot near the White House in Washington. The police tied the incident to Rahmatullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan man who gained refuge in April. In response, the administration unveiled sweeping new vetting steps and signaled that further limits can follow.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesperson Matthew Tragesser defended the decision. “Every effort is being made by the Trump administration to guarantee that those who become citizens are the best of the best.” According to Tragesser in the NYT, “citizenship is a privilege rather than a right.” He added, “When our country’s future is at risk, we will not take any chances.”
How does this affect the application procedure for citizenship and green cards?
The freeze impacts many stages of the immigration system:
- Green card and adjustment of status interviews.
- Clients were turned away from interview sessions without prior notification, according to lawyers in a number of jurisdictions.
“Everything is being put on hold,” said Texas’s immigration lawyer. “It is just like a traffic jam, and it is just going to get worse and worse and worse.”
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