US Halts Citizenship Ceremonies and All Immigration Adjudications for Nationals of 19 Countries
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, has instituted an immediate and comprehensive halt on all pending immigration applications for nationals of nineteen countries previously targeted by a Presidential travel ban, a sweeping action that has effectively canceled naturalization ceremonies for legal residents on the cusp of becoming American citizens. An internal USCIS guidance memo, issued on Monday and confirmed by agency officials, directed all field offices to “stop final adjudication on all cases” involving individuals from the specified nations. This pause is the latest and broadest restriction placed on legal immigration pathways by the Trump administration following the deadly shooting of a National Guard member in Washington, D.C., last week by an Afghan national.
The suspension applies to all types of immigration benefits for nationals of the nineteen countries, including the completion of oath ceremonies, green card approvals, and naturalization interviews. Countries affected by the freeze include nations in the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and Central Asia that were previously subjected to full or partial immigration restrictions, such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran, Sudan, Venezuela, Eritrea, and Haiti. Immigration lawyers across the country have reported immediate cancellations of previously scheduled citizenship hearings and interviews, leaving hundreds of long-term residents who had completed the lengthy application process in unexpected limbo.
A spokesperson for USCIS, Matthew Tragesser, defended the dramatic policy shift, stating that the administration is making every effort to ensure those who become citizens are “the best of the best,” emphasizing that citizenship is a privilege and not a right. The internal guidance suggests that the suspension is an interim step to allow for a “thorough re-review process” of all pending and approved applications from the affected countries. This mandated review includes the potential for additional interviews to fully assess any possible national security or public safety threats. The new policy mandates that the application hold can only be lifted by the USCIS Director, indicating that the freeze is intended to be in place for an indefinite period as the administration reassesses vetting procedures.
