US Government Halts Immigration Cases for Nationals of 19 Countries, Including Citizenship Ceremonies
In a move aimed at tightening immigration controls, the US government has halted all immigration cases filed by nationals of 19 countries, including citizenship ceremonies, following last week's shooting of two National Guard members in Washington D.C. The decision, which is part of a broader crackdown on legal immigration pathways initiated by President Trump, was made internal guidance obtained by CBS News.
The affected countries include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. While the travel ban imposed by Mr. Trump in June only partially suspended entry for these nations, the latest move freezes all USCIS cases involving individuals from these countries, regardless of when they entered the US.
Citizenship ceremonies for legal permanent residents from these countries are also on hold until further notice. The pause includes completion of oath ceremonies and final decisions on form types, as well as any interviews or re-interviews that may be necessary to assess national security and public safety threats.
The Department of Homeland Security has stated that the move is intended to ensure only "the best of the best" immigrants become US citizens. However, critics have described the move as unprecedented and overly broad in scope.
"This hold includes all form types and making any final decisions (approvals, denials) as well as completing any oath ceremonies," the internal guidance says. "We will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake."
The halt on immigration applications is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to restrict legal immigration pathways following last week's attack. The administration has already announced pauses on asylum decisions and reviewed green card cases involving immigrants from the 19 affected countries.
Experts say that the move could have significant implications for individuals who were in the process of becoming US citizens, including those who had already completed citizenship ceremonies but not yet taken the oath of allegiance.
In a move aimed at tightening immigration controls, the US government has halted all immigration cases filed by nationals of 19 countries, including citizenship ceremonies, following last week's shooting of two National Guard members in Washington D.C. The decision, which is part of a broader crackdown on legal immigration pathways initiated by President Trump, was made internal guidance obtained by CBS News.
The affected countries include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. While the travel ban imposed by Mr. Trump in June only partially suspended entry for these nations, the latest move freezes all USCIS cases involving individuals from these countries, regardless of when they entered the US.
Citizenship ceremonies for legal permanent residents from these countries are also on hold until further notice. The pause includes completion of oath ceremonies and final decisions on form types, as well as any interviews or re-interviews that may be necessary to assess national security and public safety threats.
The Department of Homeland Security has stated that the move is intended to ensure only "the best of the best" immigrants become US citizens. However, critics have described the move as unprecedented and overly broad in scope.
"This hold includes all form types and making any final decisions (approvals, denials) as well as completing any oath ceremonies," the internal guidance says. "We will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake."
The halt on immigration applications is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to restrict legal immigration pathways following last week's attack. The administration has already announced pauses on asylum decisions and reviewed green card cases involving immigrants from the 19 affected countries.
Experts say that the move could have significant implications for individuals who were in the process of becoming US citizens, including those who had already completed citizenship ceremonies but not yet taken the oath of allegiance.
. First, you have Trump's travel ban that only partially suspended entry for these countries and now they're freezing all USCIS cases and citizenship ceremonies? It feels like they're trying to hold a million people in limbo without knowing what's going on.
. I think they should at least give them a heads up or some kind of timeline for when these things might resume.
. Can't we find a more nuanced solution than freezing people's lives?
. I mean, what's next? Are they gonna start checking our social media accounts to see if we're "loyal enough" for US citizenship? 
It's just another example of the government playing politics with our immigration system. And let's be real, who decides who's a threat and who's not? It's not like we have some super-secret team of experts doing background checks... 
. We can't just lock out entire groups of people based on their nationality or country of origin. That's not how democracy works, folks! 
and what about all the people who've already taken the oath and are waiting to get their citizenship ceremony done? it's like they're just gonna be left hanging 
. and the department of homeland security saying "we're just trying to protect our nation" but honestly it feels like a bunch of xenophobic nonsense 
. this is just another example of how trump's policies are targeting the wrong people 
.
. Can't they see that immigration is about creating a diverse and inclusive society? It's not just about picking and choosing who gets to stay or leave.
. What are they supposed to do now? Just wait around for some vague promise that their country of origin will be "added back" or something?
. And can we please get a more efficient way of discussing topics on this forum? Maybe some UI tweaks or a faster server 
?
Let's hope they figure out a way to make this work for everyone. 
I don't know about this new move by the US government... it seems super strict and a bit excessive to me. I get that they wanna tighten up immigration controls, but halting all cases for 19 countries feels like a big blanket statement 
. What's next? 
They're basically saying only "the best of the best" immigrants are worthy of becoming US citizens... who gets to decide what's "best"? 
. I guess only time will tell how this all plays out 
They gotta take extra precautions after that crazy shooting in DC, right? But seriously, 19 countries? That's like, a lot of people! What about all those refugees and asylum seekers who need help? It feels like they're just gonna get stuck in limbo forever 
) will tell if this pause makes a real difference in keeping our nation safe.
, it's just gonna create more problems. What about the ones who have been here for years, paying taxes and contributing to society? Are they really gonna be held hostage by this admin 
.
.
This is just so... arbitrary 
And what's with the halt on citizenship ceremonies? Is it really worth pausing someone's life-long dream of becoming an American citizen just because of their country of origin? 
It's all so... complicated. 
(over 200k ppl) and Myanmar 
(around 70k ppl). And let's not forget Eritrea 
with roughly 20k people. This move is def gonna impact a lot of ppl who were just trying to build a new life in the US 
As per USCIS data, between FY2015 and FY2020, over 1 million LPRs (legal permanent residents) from the affected countries became US citizens. That's like, a lot of people becoming Americans... meanwhile, since Trump took office, we've seen:
We need to stand up against this kind of xenophobic nonsense and fight for our values of inclusivity and diversity.
Just when you think immigration is sorted, Trump drops another bombshell 
. Why stop at just suspending asylum decisions? Now they're freezing citizenship ceremonies too