Trump administration halts immigration applications from 19 countries
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President Trump during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Dec. 2. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration paused all immigration applications from 19 countries it determined to be "high-risk," per a Tuesday evening U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services memorandum.
The big picture: The action marks the administration's latest move to curtail immigration from certain countries after an Afghan national was identified as the suspect in last week's deadly shooting in D.C. that targeted National Guard members.
- The suspension that the New York Times first reported on impacts people from countries already facing travel restrictions from a June order that President Trump signed — including Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Somalia and Venezuela.
- The other nations are: Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan and Yemen.
Driving the news: Every applicant from these countries must "undergo a thorough re-review process, including a potential interview and, if necessary, a re-interview, to fully assess all national security and public safety threats," per the USCIS memo.
- The agency references the suspect in the ambush-style attack near the White House that killed one Guard member and critically injured another and says the decision was made in "light of identified concerns and the threat to" U.S. citizens.
- "USCIS has considered that this direction may result in delay to the adjudication of some pending applications and has weighed that consequence against the urgent need for the agency to ensure that applicants are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible," the memo states.
- "Ultimately, USCIS has determined that the burden of processing delays that will fall on some applicants is necessary and appropriate in this instance, when weighed against the agency's obligation to protect and preserve national security."
State of play: The USCIS last week launched a "full scale" review of every green card holder from these 19 nations soon after suspending all immigration applications from Afghan nationals following the D.C. shooting.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday after meeting with Trump that she's recommending a travel ban on multiple countries in connection with criminal activity in the U.S.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News later night that Noem is recommending that the travel travel restrictions on the 19 nations "widens and covers more countries." DHS said it's announcing the list "soon."
- Trump said last week he would "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries," but his administration did not immediately clarify which countries would be targeted by this.
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