By Seekriti Saha
The Donald Trump Administration has declared a pause on all immigration applications filed by residents of nineteen non-European countries who were placed under a US travel ban previously, resulting in widespread cancellation of green card interviews.
The halt in immigration comes after two of the National Guards were shot on Wednesday, 26th November, near the Washington White house. The officials described it as a coordinated attack. The suspect was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national. Trump called the shooting “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror” in a prerecorded video. He said his administration would “re-examine” all Afghans who came to the U.S. during Joe Biden’s presidency.
The pause applies to a list of 19 countries. The Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Equatorial Guinea, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Eritrea, Yemen and Sudan are the countries which were subjected to severe restriction in June. Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Burundi, Cuba, Turkmenistan and Venezuela are the countries which were under partial restriction in June. The newly released policy ceases the process of pending applications and makes it mandatory that the immigrants from the countries listed “undergo a thorough re-review process, including a potential interview and, if necessary, a re-interview, to fully assess all national security and public safety threats.” reported Mint
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said, “The Trump administration is making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best. Citizenship is a privilege, not a right.”
According to the policy, Indian applicants for H-1B visa adjustments, US green cards and American citizenship should not experience cancellations.