US Immigration Suspension: 19 High-Risk Countries Affected
The US administration has announced the immediate suspension of all immigration applications from 19 countries classified as "high-risk", including applications for permanent resident cards and naturalization. This decision, made public on December 2, 2025, by the Department of Homeland Security, comes just days after a fatal shooting in Washington involving an Afghan national.
Countries Affected
The measure affects nationals from the 12 countries already subject to a total entry ban since June, including:
- Afghanistan
- Burma
- Chad
- Libya
- Somalia
- Yemen As well as seven additional countries added to the list, including:
- Cuba
- Burundi
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Turkmenistan
Suspension of Ongoing Procedures
All ongoing procedures, including those filed before the suspension, are now frozen, with no deadline for resumption. According to internal USCIS documents, the suspension applies to both applications filed from abroad and those from individuals already present in the United States, whose files may be re-examined or subject to additional interviews for "national security" reasons.
Impact on US Immigration Policy
This decision marks a significant hardening of the Trump administration's migration policy, already focused on combating illegal immigration. It comes after an Afghan national was accused of killing a National Guard soldier in a Washington attack on November 26. Since then, all asylum decisions have also been frozen, with the government claiming it wants to strengthen controls to avoid new security risks.
