The Trump administration said it paused all immigration applications, including green card and US citizenship processing, filed by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing concerns over national security and public safety.
According to CNBC, the pause applies to people from 19 countries that were already subjected to a partial travel ban in June, placing further restrictions on immigration, a core feature of U.S. President Donald Trump’s political platform.
The list of countries includes Afghanistan and Somalia.
Moreover, foreign nationals from more than two dozen countries could be barred from entering the United States under an expanded travel ban being considered by President Trump.
The Trump administration is targeting at least 30 countries to include on an updated travel ban list, but could add more in the future, a source confirmed to The Post.
“We will be announcing the list soon,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem teased the “full travel ban” on Monday night, indicating on X that she proposed expanding the number of countries on the restricted list during a meeting with Trump.
The DHS chief said, “Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom, not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS. WE DON’T WANT THEM. NOT ONE.”
The official memorandum outlining the new policy cites the attack on US National Guard members in Washington last week in which an Afghan man has been arrested as a suspect.
One member of the National Guard was killed and another was critically wounded in the shooting.
