On December 2, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued Policy Memorandum PM 602 0192 that immediately halts all immigration benefit applications filed by people from 19 designated high risk countries and suspends processing of all asylum claims.
The freeze applies to green card applications, permanent resident renewals, travel document requests, petitions to remove conditions on residence, and many other forms.
The suspension also applies to all pending asylum applications, regardless of nationality. More than 1.4 million asylum cases are now on hold.
Which Countries Are Affected
The freeze applies to nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, which are under the full travel ban, as well as those from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, which are under partial restrictions.
Nationals or citizens from these countries, including those already residing in the United States, are subject to the freeze.
Why the Freeze Was Introduced
USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) justified the freeze as a necessary measure to protect national security. The memo explicitly states that the “burden of processing delays … is necessary and appropriate … when weighed against the agency’s obligation to protect and preserve national security.”
Officials cited two recent incidents involving Afghan nationals as key triggers:
- One accused of conspiring to support a terrorist organization for a planned 2024 attack.
- Another case involved Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was charged with a November 2025 shooting in Washington, D.C., that killed one National Guard member and critically injured another.
According to USCIS leadership, the freeze also reflects concerns that some immigrants, especially those who came after January 20, 2021 — may not have been properly vetted.
The directive mandates a comprehensive re-review of all immigration benefits granted to individuals from the 19 nations: including interviews or re-interviews, identity checks, screening against terrorism databases, and evaluation for any criminal or security-related flags.
What It Covers and What It Means Now
- The freeze covers all pending and new applications from the 19 countries. Green cards, renewals, travel-document requests, petitions to remove residency conditions, all are on hold.
- Even previously approved cases are not safe: nationals from those countries who entered the U.S. after January 20, 2021, will be re-reviewed.
- Asylum applications from any nationality are paused, not just those from the 19 countries.
- USCIS says interviews will not be waived under any circumstances.
USCIS has further indicated that the freeze will stay in place until a future directive is issued by its Director or Deputy Director, meaning there is no defined end date yet.
Administration’s Rationale: Security, Screening, and “Maximum Vetting”
The freeze is being portrayed by officials as a national-security safeguard.
- The measure is framed as a response to serious threats including terrorism and violent crime, allegedly linked to individuals from the designated countries.
- A DHS spokesman reportedly described citizenship as a privilege, not a right, signaling the administration’s hardline stance.
- The administration says the pause gives it time to overhaul vetting procedures and ensure that any immigrant benefiting from U.S. immigration law meets the “maximum screening” standard.
Critics Call It “Collective Punishment by Press Release”
Not everyone accepts the administration’s justification. Adam Juchniewicz, a former U.S. Air Force veteran, who argues that using the actions of “one Afghan gunman” as a reason to “blacklist half of the developing world” isn’t a serious security policy. He calls the freeze “collective punishment by press release.”
Critics warn that this is more about political signaling than legitimate security that the action bypasses Congress (which controls immigration legislation) and attempts to rewrite immigration law via executive fiat.
Some experts also warn the freeze will disrupt global talent mobility, discourage skilled immigration, and send a negative signal to those considering the U.S. as a destination for work, study, or resettlement.
What’s Next — Uncertainties, Reviews, and Global Consequences
- The administration says it will prioritize a review list within 90 days, and then begin interviews, re-interviews, and background checks for affected individuals.
- Requests to lift the freeze will need approval from top USCIS leadership and only “litigation or extraordinary circumstances” will be considered for exceptions.
- Until then, many immigrants including people with long-pending applications and approved cases will remain in limbo. Families, employers, and communities relying on immigration pathways are facing major uncertainty.
Final Thought
The sudden suspension of immigration processing for 19 countries and the nationwide halt on asylum reviews marks one of the most far reaching shifts in U.S. immigration policy in recent years. While the administration frames the freeze as a security measure, the scale and immediacy of the action have created significant uncertainty for applicants, families, and employers. As the government begins its extensive re review process, many will be watching closely to understand how long the freeze will last and what long term impact it may have on the United States immigration system.
