The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a review of certain green card and other benefit applications, citing national security considerations.
According to a recent policy memorandum, the review will focus on applications from individuals originating from a list of countries designated as high risk.
The agency pointed to the recent shooting of two National Guard members, allegedly by an Afghan national, as the catalyst for the pause and increased screening measures. One Guard member was killed and another injured in the Thanksgiving week incident near the White House.
“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. Lastly, USCIS may, when appropriate, extend this review and re-interview process to aliens who entered the United States outside of this timeframe,” the agency wrote in a memo.
Why It Matters
Under the memorandum, pending applications for green cards, petitions to remove conditions, green card replacements, travel documents, and other benefit requests, such as N-470, from these countries will be held on pause until additional security checks are completed.
The policy also mandates interviews for all affected cases, with no waivers for applicants who might otherwise be exempt.
What To Know
The pause on applications from 19 countries previously subject to travel restrictions means that individuals who have already undergone extensive vetting for green cards or citizenship may face additional delays. Immigrants from these countries (including Cubans, Eritreans, Somalis, and Sudanese) could also see requests for work permits, travel documents, and visa extensions put on hold.
The affected nations are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
USCIS officials described the measure as part of an effort to ensure that individuals receiving immigration benefits do not pose a national security risk. The agency has not provided a timeline for the completion of the review, and applicants are advised to monitor USCIS communications regarding their cases.
USCIS will conduct a retroactive review of previously approved cases. Individuals from the designated countries who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021, may undergo additional security checks. This review affects holders of green cards, employment authorization documents (EADs), travel documents, and, in some cases, naturalization applicants who already completed interviews and other standard vetting processes.
The memo also indicates that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may expand the review to include individuals admitted before 2021, potentially broadening the scope further. USCIS describes this policy as the most comprehensive operational freeze on immigration applications in decades.
Experts told Newsweek that the policy may result in extended processing times and additional administrative burdens for affected applicants.
“My concern is more on the resource allocation and inevitable delay in processing times of any new filing with USCIS, regardless of whether you are from these ‘high risk’ countries. A byproduct I am sure the administration is counting on and happy with,” Ricky Murray, a former senior official at USCIS until November 29, told Newsweek.
Charles H. Kuck, founding partner at Kuck Baxter immigration law firm in Atlanta, added that “this ‘news’ will result in a massive increase of mandamus litigation, as there is no justifiable reason to pause adjudication for anyone. This is simply an excuse used my Steven Miller and his minions at USCIS to not do the job they have been paid to do. There is no lawful basis to simply not adjudicate cases. We will see them in court.”
What People Are Saying
A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek: “The Trump Administration is making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best. Citizenship is a privilege, not a right. We will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake. The Trump Administration is reviewing all immigration benefits granted by the Biden administration to aliens from Countries of Concern.”
President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post on Thursday: “I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States.”
What Happens Next
The administration will continue its crackdown on legal and illegal migration.
