Trump administration halts immigration functions for migrants from 19 travel-ban nations, together with Afghanistan and Somalia

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is pausing all immigration functions comparable to requests for inexperienced playing cards for individuals from 19 nations banned from journey earlier this yr, as a part of sweeping immigration modifications within the wake of the taking pictures of two National Guard troops.

The modifications had been outlined in a coverage memo posted Tuesday on the web site of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the company tasked with processing and approving all requests for immigration advantages.

The pause places on maintain a variety of immigration-related selections comparable to inexperienced card functions or naturalizations for immigrants from these 19 nations that the Trump administration has described as high-risk. It’s as much as the company’s director, Joseph Edlow, on when to raise the pause, the memo mentioned.

The administration in June banned journey to the U.S. by residents of 12 nations and restricted entry for these from seven others, citing nationwide safety considerations.

The ban utilized to residents of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen whereas the restricted entry utilized to individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

At the time, no motion was taken in opposition to immigrants from these nations who had been already within the U.S. earlier than the journey ban went into impact.

But now the information from USCIS means these individuals already within the U.S. — no matter after they arrived — will come beneath additional scrutiny.

The company mentioned it might conduct a complete assessment of all “approved benefit requests” for immigrants who entered the nation throughout the Biden administration.

The company cited the taking pictures of two National Guard troops by a suspect who’s an Afghan nationwide as a cause for the pause and heightened scrutiny for individuals from these nations. One National Guard soldier was killed and one other wounded within the Thanksgiving week taking pictures close to the White House.

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“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 company mentioned.

The company mentioned within the Tuesday memo that inside 90 days it might create a prioritized checklist of immigrants for assessment and if mandatory, referral to immigration enforcement or different legislation enforcement businesses.

Since the taking pictures, the administration has introduced a flurry of selections it was taking to scrutinize immigrants already within the nation and people searching for to return to the U.S.
Last week, the director of USCIS mentioned in a social media submit that his company could be reexamining inexperienced card functions for individuals from nations “of concern.” But the coverage directive Tuesday goes additional and lays out in additional element the scope of who will probably be affected.

USCIS additionally mentioned final week that it was pausing all asylum selections, and the State Department mentioned it was halting visas for Afghans who assisted the U.S. conflict effort.

Days earlier than the taking pictures, USCIS mentioned in a separate memo that the administration would assessment the instances of all refugees who entered the U.S. throughout the Biden administration.

Critics have mentioned that the Trump administration’s actions have amounted to collective punishment for immigrants.