The U.S. government has announced multiple new immigration policies and processing suspensions, including an indefinite halt to immigrant visa processing for citizens from 75 countries and a re-examination of green cards for nationals from an expanded list of nations. These actions follow a shooting incident near the White House involving an Afghan national, and are based on concerns about national security, public safety, and the potential for immigrants to become "public charges" by relying on public benefits.
The measures are part of a broader series of adjustments to U.S. immigration policy during the administration's tenure.
Initial Actions Following White House Area Shooting
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) suspended the processing of all immigration requests for Afghan nationals. This decision followed a shooting incident near the White House, where two National Guard soldiers sustained injuries. The individual identified as the alleged gunman is an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in September 2021 under a program offering special immigration protections to Afghans. President Donald Trump described the event as an "act of terror" and a "significant national security threat."
USCIS stated that this suspension is pending a comprehensive review of existing security and vetting protocols. Joseph Edlow, head of USCIS, indicated that the President directed a "full scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern."
This review initially focused on individuals from 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. A policy memo from USCIS stated that a comprehensive review of all "approved benefit requests" for individuals from these 19 countries who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021, would be conducted and may include interviews. Within 90 days, USCIS is tasked with creating a prioritized list of individuals for review, with provisions for referral to immigration enforcement or other law enforcement agencies.
Subsequently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a pause on immigration applications from an additional 20 countries, bringing the total to 39 nations subject to expanded scrutiny. These countries include Angola, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. The rationale for these measures, as stated by USCIS, is "ensuring aliens from high-risk countries of concern who have entered the United States do not pose risks to national security or public safety," and that "the flow of aliens from countries with high overstay rates, significant fraud, or both must stop."
Suspension of Immigrant Visa Processing Over Public Charge Concerns
The U.S. State Department announced an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing for citizens from 75 countries, effective January 21. This measure is based on a November order that tightened rules for potential immigrants who might become "public charges" in the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's department instructed consular officers to halt these applications.
Policy Details and Rationale
- The suspension applies only to immigrant visas, which are for permanent residency. It does not affect non-immigrant visas, such as temporary tourist, business, or student visas.
- The stated objective is to prevent individuals who might rely on welfare and public benefits from entering the U.S. A State Department spokesperson stated the department would "reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits."
- Consular officers have been instructed to screen non-immigrant visa applicants for their potential reliance on public benefits. Applicants are required to demonstrate they would not seek public benefits while in the U.S., and officers may require further financial proof.
- The November guidance expanded the range of benefit programs that could lead to disqualification for those seeking permanent residency. Vetting criteria for visa applicants now include age, health, family status, finances, education, skills, prior use of public assistance in any country, and English proficiency, often assessed through interviews.
Affected Countries
The 75 countries impacted by this suspension include:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Yemen.
Exceptions and Duration
Specific exceptions are outlined in the memo, including athletes and team members participating in the World Cup and 2026 Olympics, whose non-immigrant visas are not affected. Dual nationals holding a valid passport from an unaffected country are also exempt from the suspension. The freeze is set to remain in effect "until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people."
Broader Immigration Policy Adjustments and Related Developments
These measures are part of several other immigration-related decisions by the administration:
- USCIS has paused all asylum decisions and announced an indefinite suspension of all asylum application processing.
- The State Department has halted visas for Afghan individuals who assisted U.S. war efforts.
- USCIS previously announced a review of the cases of all refugees who entered the U.S. under former President Joe Biden.
- The administration expanded the list of countries subject to U.S. travel restrictions, increasing it from 19 to 39, and also including the Palestinian Authority. Previous travel bans affected 12 countries, with an additional 6 later added.
- Humanitarian parole programs, including the CBP One app for asylum appointments, were terminated. Efforts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several countries are being challenged in court.
- The U.S. refugee program has been significantly scaled back, with a proposed refugee admissions cap of 7,500 for the fiscal year 2026, described as the lowest in U.S. history.
- Fees for H-1B visas were increased.
- The Department of Homeland Security reported over 605,000 deportations by early December, with an additional 1.9 million people recorded as having "self-deported."
A coalition of civil rights organizations and U.S. citizens has initiated legal action against the State Department, challenging the decision to suspend immigrant visa processing for 75 countries. The lawsuit contends that the policy constitutes a nationality-based prohibition on legal immigration and bypasses regulatory procedures.
The Cato Institute, a think tank, estimated that the 75-country visa suspension could affect nearly half of all legal immigrants to the United States, potentially impacting around 315,000 legal immigrants in the coming year. A study by the same institute reported that immigrants, on a per capita basis, consumed approximately 24% less in welfare benefits than native-born Americans, attributing this to positive selection among immigrants and restricted legal access to welfare programs.