• The U.S. suspended immigration requests from nationals of 19 countries—10 of them African—on December 2, following a November 26 shooting in Washington.
• The new policy blocks green-card applications, naturalization procedures and all other administrative steps for affected nationals, including those already in the U.S.
• USCIS will reexamine all cases of nationals from these countries who entered since 2021, with potential interviews and transfers to ICE.

A November 26 shooting in Washington that allegedly involved a legally admitted Afghan national killed one member of the National Guard and injured another. U.S. officials immediately renewed calls to harden immigration rules.

The U.S. administration suspended immigration applications on December 2 for nationals of 19 countries, mostly in Asia and Africa. The decision, adopted days after the shooting attributed to an Afghan national, affects 10 African countries already targeted by U.S. restrictions earlier this year.

The suspension means affected individuals cannot file for permanent residency (“green cards”), initiate naturalization procedures or pursue any administrative step linked to their immigration status. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated in a memorandum that it has paused all such procedures for nationals of the listed countries.

In June 2025, President Donald Trump barred entry into the U.S. for citizens of 12 countries, including the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia and Sudan. He also imposed tighter restrictions on nationals of seven others, among them Burundi, Sierra Leone and Togo.

While the previous measures did not apply to migrants already inside the U.S., the new restrictions now include residents from these countries, significantly widening their impact.

USCIS said it will review all files of nationals from the targeted countries who arrived in the U.S. since 2021. The agency signaled the possibility of additional interviews, in-depth reassessments, and, if needed, referrals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The tightening fits into Trump’s broader migration policy, which has introduced several restrictive actions targeting countries classified as high-risk.

The U.S. President reiterated last week that he intends to “permanently suspend migration from third-world countries,” without specifying the exact list. ICE-led expulsions have increased in recent months, although federal court rulings continue to limit the administration’s ability to fully enforce its agenda.

This article was initially published in French by Emiliano Tossou

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum