Khaberni - The administration of US President Donald Trump said that it has suspended all immigration applications, including those for green cards (permanent residence) and American citizenship submitted by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing concerns related to national security and public safety.
The suspension applies to citizens from 19 countries whose citizens are already subject to a partial entry ban announced in June, imposing additional restrictions on immigration, which is a key focus of the President’s political agenda.
The list of countries includes Afghanistan and Somalia.
An official memorandum clarifying the new policy refers to an attack last week on two members of the National Guard in Washington, in which authorities arrested an Afghan suspect. One of the women died and the other was seriously injured in the shooting.
Trump has also escalated his rhetoric against Somalis in recent days, saying “We don’t want them in our country.”
Since his return to office last December, Trump has prioritized the enforcement of immigration laws and sent federal agents to major American cities to track down immigrants and denied asylum seekers at the border with Mexico.
The list of targeted countries in the memorandum issued Wednesday includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, all of which are subject to the stricter restrictions announced in June, including a full suspension of entry for their citizens, with some exceptions.
Other countries on the list, subject to partial restrictions since June, include Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The new policy stipulates the suspension of applications submitted and requires all immigrants from the countries listed to "undergo a rigorous re-evaluation process, including a potential interview, and if necessary, a re-interview, to fully assess all threats related to national security and public safety."
The memorandum points to several recent crimes suspected to have been committed by immigrants, including the attack on the National Guard.
