US Halts Immigration Applications from Afghanistan and Several Other Nations
The United States has suspended the processing of all immigration applications, including green cards and citizenship requests, from Afghanistan and several other nations, according to a New York Times report. This move continues a policy initiated last January, which added Afghanistan to the list of countries under a travel ban.
In addition to Afghanistan, the list includes countries such as Iran, Myanmar, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guyana, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Togo, Haiti, Laos, Turkmenistan, and Libya. The New York Times has described these countries as among the “poorest and most unstable” regions in the world.
The suspension comes amid rising pressure for tighter immigration controls following a recent shooting in Washington D.C. by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who had been granted asylum in April this year. Two members of the U.S. National Guard were injured in the attack.
Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), stated that “citizenship is a privilege, not a right,” adding that the Trump administration will only accept “the best of the best.” He emphasized that no risks regarding America’s future would be tolerated.
The policy has severely disrupted numerous immigration procedures. Immigration lawyers in the U.S. have reported sudden suspensions of citizenship processes and green card interviews without any prior notification or explanation. Ana Maria Schwartz, an immigration attorney in Texas, said her clients were alerted of the cancellations only upon arriving at immigration offices.
Schwartz warned that these decisions are placing significant strain on the functionality of the immigration system, with the banned countries being hit the hardest. She compared the current situation to a system in crisis.
