Trump’s Immigration Freeze in the U.S.: Asylum, Green Cards, Visas, and Citizenship Suspended for 19 Countries

Asylum, green cards, citizenship, and visas are now at risk — and not just for “bad actors.” Doctors, engineers, students, and families who have spent years building their lives in the U.S. were suddenly erased from the country’s future with one executive decision.

Mass Immigration Freeze — Who Is Affected and Why

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After the shooting near the White House, the Trump administration froze the processing of asylum claims, green cards, citizenship applications, and visas — affecting nearly 3.3 million immigrants, including doctors, engineers, students, and long-established families who suddenly found their future in the U.S. on hold.

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After the shooting near the White House, the Trump Administration has frozen the processing of asylum cases, green cards, naturalization requests, and visa applications — affecting nearly 3.3 million immigrants, including doctors, engineers, students, and long-established families.

According to The New York Times, the Administration halted all immigration applications — including green card and citizenship processing — for applicants from 19 countries, following the fatal shooting of a National Guard service member near the White House. The pause impacts countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Venezuela, Haiti, and Somalia, affecting hundreds of thousands of pending cases and approximately 3.3 million current green card holders.

This immigration freeze comes amid broader efforts to tighten U.S. immigration policy after the November 27 shooting, in which 20-year-old U.S. Army specialist Sarah Beckstrom was killed, and 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe was critically injured. Both were members of the West Virginia National Guard.

Authorities identified the alleged shooter as Rahmanullah Lakanwala, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the United States in September 2021 and was granted asylum in April 2025.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow announced Friday that the agency has suspended all asylum decisions nationwide “until we can ensure that every noncitizen is fully vetted and screened to the maximum extent possible.”The asylum backlog has now reached 1.4 million pending cases, compared to 241,280 in 2022.

Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department has stopped issuing visas to all Afghan passport holders — effectively shutting down the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program that allowed Afghans who assisted U.S. military operations to relocate to the United States.

Status Overview: Who Is Impacted and What It Means

GROUP 1: Full Immigration Freeze (All Nationalities)

Asylum (Form I-589) — now paused nationwide, regardless of country of origin. More than 1.4 million pending asylum cases are frozen indefinitely.

GROUP 2: Immigration Freeze for 19 Countries

The following categories are suspended only for nationals of 19 countries:

• Family petitions (I-130 + I-485 adjustment)

• Employment-based cases (I-140 + I-485)

• Naturalization (N-400)

• Existing green cards (risk of re-examination)

Countries included: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Congo (Republic), Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela.

GROUP 3: Long-standing Visa Bans Reinforced (19 Countries)

The following visa categories are now fully unavailable:

• Tourist visas (B-1/B-2) — since June 2025

• Student visas (F-1) — since June 2025

• Work visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1) — since June 2025

GROUP 4: Threatened or Uncertain Categories

Not formally paused, but now at high risk:

• Humanitarian visas (T, U, VAWA)

• SIJS — if the applicant is from one of the 19 countries (I-485 freeze applies)

• Advance Parole (I-131) — frozen for pending cases

GROUP 5: Possible Expansion (Leak, Not Confirmed)

Kristi Noem reportedly recommended expanding the ban list from 19 to ~30 countries as of December 1.No confirmation yet.

Practical Guidance for Immigrants Affected by the 2025 Freeze

Client Type	Status	Recommended Action
Pending I-130 (family) from 19 countries	✔️ Frozen	Document all delays. Prepare a mandamus lawsuit if the delay exceeds 1 year. Request a congressional inquiry.
Pending N-400 (naturalization) from 19 countries	✔️ Paused	Same as above + demand adjudication under due process. Interviews may already be scheduled — monitor closely.
Existing green card holder from 19 countries (post-Jan 20, 2021)	⚠️ RE-REVIEW RISK	Be extremely careful — prepare full documentation of good moral character, employment, taxes. The risk of green card revocation is currently low but may increase through court review.
Asylum pending (any country)	✔️ Freeze ALL	Around 1.4M people are waiting. Expect many months. If already in process — request expedited review under humanitarian grounds (medical or family emergency).
H-1B / Employment from 19 countries	✔️ Frozen	New petitions are impossible. Existing H-1B holders may continue working, but I-485 cannot proceed.
F-1 student from 19 countries	✔️ Frozen	Visas are not issued. Schools must notify students. Options now: transfer to another country or defer studies.

For Pending Cases from the 19 Countries

• Document everything — USCIS letters, dates, communications.

• Strengthen evidence — income, employment, family ties, good moral character.

• Request a congressional inquiry — senators and representatives can accelerate delayed cases.

• Prepare a mandamus lawsuit if the delay exceeds 1 year (I-130 or N-400).

• Follow news closely — once the freeze lifts, fast action will be important.

  
  

For Existing Green Card Holders (Post-Jan 2021) from the 19 Countries

• Build a perfect documentation file — taxes, employment, medical records, police certificates (showing no interactions).

• Avoid international travel without legal guidance — reentry risk.

• Prepare I-90 renewal early — tighter scrutiny expected.

• Treat all USCIS correspondence seriously.

• If scheduled for an interview, consult an attorney immediately.

For Asylum Seekers (All Countries)

• Expect very long delays — possibly 2–10 years.

• Keep your USCIS contact information updated.

• Continue documenting persecution and humanitarian risks.

• In extreme situations, request humanitarian expedite waivers.

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