US Federal Government Announces Sweeping Immigration Restrictions for Many Foreign Nationals

As a result of the shootings of two National Guard members in Washington DC, the US federal government announced a series of sweeping immigration actions affecting multiple categories of foreign nationals. Key measures include:

• Pause and review of pending and approved immigration benefits from 19 countries.
  USCIS is pausing and will reexamine all applications for immigration benefits—both pending and already approved—for nationals of the 19 countries covered by the June 2025 travel ban. This includes applications for marriage-based green cards and naturalization even if the applicant holds dual nationality from another country which is not on the list. The 19 travel ban countries include: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

• Suspension of all asylum adjudications and review of refugee-based green-card applications for all nationalities.
  USCIS has paused adjudication of all pending asylum applications. The agency will also review refugee admissions and green-card applications for individuals admitted as refugees since January 20, 2021 until present.

• Suspension of visa issuance to Afghan nationals.
  The State Department has halted visa issuance to Afghan passport holders. Although most Afghan nationals were already barred under the June 2025 travel ban, some had remained eligible under limited exceptions.

• Expanded discretion for USCIS officers to consider country conditions.
  New USCIS guidance authorizes adjudicators to weigh country-specific factors—such as overstay rates and passport security—when deciding discretionary benefits, including adjustment of status, changes and extensions of nonimmigrant status, EADs, TPS, humanitarian parole, and refugee/asylum-related filings. This policy applies to all nationalities and to cases pending or filed on or after November 27, 2025.

Foreign nationals affected by the new USCIS directives should expect increased vetting, possible requests for additional evidence, and potential interview or re-interview notices.

Separately, the Trump Administration is considering expanding existing travel bans to additional countries, which could lead to more processing delays, case reviews, and other restrictions for impacted individuals.

Please contact Magrath Sheldrick if you require assistance.

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