Trump Freezes Immigration Cases From 19 Countries

The Trump administration has moved to temporarily freeze immigration benefits tied to 19 countries, a sweeping step that reaches from green cards to citizenship petitions. The administration paused all immigration applications from those nations while authorities conduct new security reviews, an escalation of restrictions first set in June. (reuters.com)

What Happened

On December 2, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said adjudications for applicants who were born in or are nationals of the 19 countries would be put on hold, citing national security and public-safety concerns after a recent fatal shooting near the White House involving an Afghan national. USCIS ordered a comprehensive re-review of pending cases, including the possibility of new interviews; the agency also signaled a pause on asylum decisions. (reuters.com)

Who Is Affected

The pause covers individuals tied to the same 19 nations already subject to the administration’s June entry restrictions—12 with full bans (including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Yemen, and others) and seven with partial limits (including Cuba, Venezuela, Laos, and Turkmenistan). Built on Trump’s June 4, 2025 proclamation, the new step extends beyond travel to reach people already living in the United States who are seeking green cards, naturalization, or other benefits. (whitehouse.gov)

Why It Matters

The freeze injects fresh uncertainty into thousands of cases, from family-based green cards to naturalization interviews, and could ripple across backlogs that have grown in recent years. Immigration lawyers say applicants from the listed countries should expect canceled appointments and added scrutiny as files are re-opened for security reviews. The administration frames the move as a necessary precaution; critics argue it amounts to collective punishment based on nationality and will be challenged in court. (reuters.com)

What’s Next

USCIS has not set an end date for the pause, saying it will remain until leadership lifts it through a subsequent memo. Given prior litigation over nationwide immigration policies and the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling upholding presidential authority to restrict entry under Section 212(f), a legal fight is likely to test how far that power extends to benefit adjudications. Legal challenges are expected within days, while applicants and employers brace for delays. (apnews.com)

Sources

• US pauses all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries — Reuters (December 3, 2025)
• Trump administration halts immigration applications for migrants from 19 travel-ban nations — Associated Press (December 3, 2025)
• Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restricts the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats — The White House (June 4, 2025)
• Trump administration pauses all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries — Washington Post (December 2, 2025)
• Trump Administration Halts Immigration From 19 Countries: What the New 2025 Policy Means for Millions — Reddy Neumann Brown PC (December 3, 2025)