According to internal documents revealed by CBS News, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued directives to its employees to halt all final decisions concerning citizens of countries listed in the “travel ban” decree issued last June.
The suspension includes all types of immigration applications, including naturalization ceremonies scheduled for permanent residents who were on the verge of obtaining citizenship. According to the memo, this freeze is a “temporary measure” pending the approval of new security vetting rules.
The list includes:
Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen.
It also includes partial restrictions on: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Sources indicated that the list could be expanded to include about 30 countries.
The decision includes:
Permanent residence applications (Green Card)
Naturalization applications
Asylum applications
All types of immigration visas
It also includes those who entered the United States in previous periods, not just new arrivals.
This security tightening comes after the suspicion that the perpetrator of the attack near the White House – an Afghan refugee – entered US territory in 2021 during the Biden administration and obtained asylum in April 2025 after Trump’s return to the presidency.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acknowledged the suspension of applications, stating in a statement that the administration is working to ensure that “new citizens are the best of individuals,” stressing the commitment not to take risks “when the future of the nation is at stake.”
USCIS also issued an official memo dated December 2, which includes:
A comprehensive suspension of asylum applications pending file review.
A halt to all immigration applications from the 19 countries without exception.
Re-review of files of citizens from the aforementioned countries who received approvals after January 2021.
The new policy clarifies re-interviewing when needed, verifying the absence of security or criminal risks, and requiring direct approval from the agency director for any exceptions.
A number of immigration lawyers reported the sudden cancellation or freezing of their clients’ appointments, including citizenship granting sessions.
Michael Valverde, a former USCIS official, described the decision as “unprecedented,” saying that previous suspensions were limited, while the current measure is “very broad and affects almost all immigration categories.”
