The US government has paused all immigration processing and naturalisation ceremonies for migrants from 19 countries under an existing travel ban, according to an internal memo seen by CBS News. Officials have been instructed to “stop final adjudication on all cases,” a move that comes as President Trump considers expanding the June travel restrictions from 19 countries to 30.
The halt follows last week’s Washington DC shooting that left one National Guard soldier dead and another critically injured, with the suspect identified as an Afghan national living in the US. USCIS, which already stopped asylum decisions last week, said it will also re-examine green cards issued to migrants from the affected countries.
The memo states: “This hold includes all form types and making any final decisions (approvals, denials) as well as completing any oath ceremonies.” USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser confirmed the pause, saying: “The Trump administration is making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best. Citizenship is a privilege, not a right.” Immigration lawyers say citizenship hearings for clients from Venezuela, Iran, and Afghanistan have been cancelled as the administration intensifies its crackdown and blames migrants for what Trump calls the US’s “social dysfunction.”