The US has halted citizenship ceremonies and suspended the processing of all immigration applications from 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Libya and Sudan.
Internal guidance sent to immigration officers ordered them to “stop final adjudication on all cases” relating to applicants from the listed countries and to pause naturalisation ceremonies for migrants who were due to obtain US citizenship in the coming days.
The suspension comes amid reports that President Donald Trump is preparing to expand a June executive order restricting travel from 19 countries to a list of around 30, affecting several nations across Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Many of the targeted states are Muslim-majority countries, including Afghanistan, Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The halt also affects refugees fleeing active conflict zones. Despite the ongoing genocide in Sudan carried out by the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudanese asylum seekers appear to fall under the restrictions, making resettlement in the US nearly impossible under the revised policy.
Afghan national shoots National Guards
The tightening of immigration controls follows a shooting incident in Washington DC last week which left one National Guard soldier dead and another in critical condition.
The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, arrived in the US in 2021 under the Biden administration’s evacuation “Operation Allies Welcome” programme following the liberation of Afghanistan.
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Documents show that Lakanwal previously spent 10 years working with the CIA in Afghanistan through the agency’s paramilitary proxy force, the Qandahar Strike Force (QSF).
Records indicate that he “served alongside US Special Forces in Afghanistan,” raising questions about the vetting processes used during the mass evacuation of Afghan allies.
Restrictions expanded
The updated guidance issued on 4 June indicates that the 19 countries listed by the White House will face full or partial immigration restrictions.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been instructed to halt all asylum decisions for nationals from those countries and to re-examine green cards already issued to migrants covered by the travel ban.
Matthew Tragesser, a spokesman for USCIS, confirmed the directive to the New York Times, 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 across the US told ABC News that their clients’ citizenship interviews and oath ceremonies had been abruptly cancelled this week, particularly for applicants from Iran and Afghanistan.
The halted naturalisation ceremonies often represent the end of a years-long process, and usually feature dozens of new citizens celebrating while holding American flags and pledging the oath of allegiance.
Escalating anti-immigrant rhetoric
The policy shift comes as President Trump has intensified his anti-immigration rhetoric, repeatedly blaming migrants for crime, welfare abuse and what he describes as America’s “social dysfunction.”
At a White House cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump launched a racially charged attack on Somali immigrants, saying they should “go back to where they came from,” claiming their country “stinks” and alleging that they have “ripped off Minnesota for billions.” Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the US.
He described Somali-American congresswoman Ilhan Omar as “garbage,” continuing a pattern of inflammatory remarks aimed at migrant communities and Muslim-majority nations.
