The Trump administration has moved to freeze all immigration applications from 19 countries included in the president's expanded travel-ban order, halting green card processing, naturalization ceremonies, and other immigration benefits for tens of thousands of foreign nationals, according to multiple reports.
The move represents one of the administration's most sweeping steps yet to tighten security vetting and restrict entry from countries the White House describes as high-risk.
Internal guidance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), obtained by CBS News, directs officers to "stop final adjudication on all cases" involving applicants from the 19 nations listed in President Donald Trump's June proclamation.
Those countries include Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Haiti, and others facing restrictions because of terrorism concerns, inadequate identity-verification systems, or unstable conditions on the ground.
The halt applies to every immigration form type processed by USCIS — not only green card petitions but also naturalization requests, asylum-related filings, work permits, and travel documents.
It also pauses oath ceremonies for legal permanent residents from the listed countries who were preparing to become United States citizens.
Officers were instructed to delay approvals, denials, and interviews until further guidance is issued.
According to a statement provided to CBS News, the Department of Homeland Security did not dispute the freeze.
Instead, officials said the administration is committed to the highest standards of screening.
"The Trump administration is making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best," a DHS spokesperson said.
A USCIS spokesman, Matthew Tragesser, reinforced that message in a statement to The New York Times.
"Citizenship is a privilege, not a right," he said. "We will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake."
The decision comes as the administration intensifies its broader overhaul of the immigration system following last week's shooting of two National Guard members near the White House.
Authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the United States under a Biden-era resettlement program after the fall of Kabul.
Lakanwal later received asylum in April.
Officials say the case underscores longstanding concerns about lax vetting during the Biden administration.
In recent days, the White House has ordered reviews of green cards previously issued to nationals of travel-ban countries, paused asylum decisions nationwide, and opened a reassessment of all asylum grants provided under former President Joe Biden.
Immigration attorneys reported widespread cancellations Tuesday, saying clients arrived for naturalization ceremonies and green card interviews only to be turned away without explanation.
It remains unclear how many applicants from the 19 countries stand to be affected, though the number is expected to be significant.
Separate policy changes announced last week could affect more than 1.5 million asylum seekers with pending claims and more than 50,000 individuals granted asylum under Biden.
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