US Suspends Immigration, Asylum Processing for Nationals of 19 Countries After Guard Shooting

The United States government has suspended all pending asylum applications and immigration benefit requests submitted by nationals of 19 so-called “high-risk” countries, following a new directive issued Tuesday by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

According to the policy memo, all Forms I-589 the application for asylum and withholding of removal are to be placed on hold nationwide while the agency conducts a “comprehensive review” of current procedures. The suspension applies regardless of applicants’ nationality.

USCIS officials have also been ordered to halt all immigration benefit requests from citizens of countries listed under Presidential Proclamation 10949 until the review is completed. The affected countries include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, as well as partially restricted nations such as Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

Additionally, the memo directs a full re-examination of previously approved immigration benefits for nationals of the 19 countries who entered the US on or after January 20, 2021. These individuals will undergo enhanced vetting, which may include fresh interviews or re-interviews to assess potential national security or public safety risks.

The sweeping pause follows a renewed push by President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for tougher immigration enforcement. Their calls intensified after last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.

The suspected shooter, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was granted asylum in April after arriving in the US in 2021, reportedly worked with multiple US government agencies, including the CIA, prior to the incident, according to American media reports.