U.S. pauses all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries including Afghanistan

The Hindu:

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday (December 2, 2025) said it paused all immigration applications, including green card and U.S. citizenship processing, filed by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing concerns over national security and public safety.

The pause applies to people from 19 countries that were already subjected to a partial travel ban in June, placing further restrictions on immigration — a core feature of U.S. President Donald Trump’s political platform.

The list of countries includes Afghanistan and Somalia.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday (December 2, 2025) said it paused all immigration applications, including green card and U.S. citizenship processing, filed by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing concerns over national security and public safety.

The pause applies to people from 19 countries that were already subjected to a partial travel ban in June, placing further restrictions on immigration — a core feature of U.S. President Donald Trump’s political platform.

The list of countries includes Afghanistan and Somalia.

The official memorandum outlining the new policy cites the attack on U.S. National Guard members in Washington last week in which an Afghan man has been arrested as a suspect. One member of the National Guard was killed and another was critically wounded in the shooting.

Mr. Trump has also stepped up rhetoric against Somalis in recent days, calling them “garbage” and saying “we don’t want them in our country.”