The Trump administration has ordered an immediate freeze on all immigration applications filed by nationals from 19 countries, marking its most sweeping legal immigration crackdown since returning to office.
The suspension applies to every kind of USCIS case from visa petitions and green card reviews to naturalization ceremonies according to internal guidance obtained by CBS News and confirmed by a government source.
The directive, sent to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offices on Monday, instructs staff to stop final adjudication on all cases involving immigrants from the 19 nations previously flagged in President Trump’s June proclamation, widely known as the expanded travel ban.
This pause means that even permanent residents who had already passed interviews and were days away from taking the U.S. citizenship oath cannot proceed.
According to the internal memo, the suspension is a preliminary action as the administration prepares broader vetting procedures following last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. The suspect in the attack an Afghan evacuee who arrived in 2021 and received asylum in April 2025 has been cited by the administration as justification for a full-scale reassessment of immigration programs.
The June proclamation currently affects nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo (Republic), Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also imposes partial restrictions on Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
While the administration had already announced freezes on asylum decisions, Afghan immigration processing, and reviews of green card files from the 19 banned countries, it had not publicly disclosed that all USCIS cases including citizenship applications were also halted.
A DHS spokesperson did not dispute the freeze, saying the administration is committed to ensuring that individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best. The agency added that it will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake.”
USCIS later published a Dec. 2 memo outlining the new enforcement protocol. The memo confirms:
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A full suspension of all asylum decisions pending a nationwide review
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A total freeze on every immigration benefit request filed by nationals of the 19 travel-ban countries
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A re-review of all immigration approvals issued since January 2021 for applicants from those nations
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New requirements for “thorough re-vetting, including possible re-interviews and investigations for potential national security risks, criminal concerns, or suspected extremism
The document states the freeze will continue indefinitely until the USCIS director issues another memo authorizing the resumption of processing. Any attempt to lift the pause — including for court orders must be personally approved by the USCIS Director or Deputy Director
News also reports that officials are discussing expanding the travel ban to approximately 30 countries, using national security authority granted under federal immigration law.
That expansion would significantly widen the categories of immigrants facing travel and immigration restrictions.
Immigration attorneys say clients across the country have already seen interviews postponed and oath ceremonies canceled with no explanation.
Former senior USCIS official Michael Valverde called the move unprecedented, noting that while tactical pauses have been implemented in the past, nothing on this scale has ever occurred.
This affects every category of immigration benefit and an extremely large group of people, Valverde said.
