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The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it would be pausing immigration from 19 countries that were already under full or partial travel restrictions.
The impacted nations are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
The immigration pause, which is effective immediately, applies to nationals from the 19 listed nations who entered the U.S. on or after Jan. 20, 2021, the date of former President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Migrants from one of the 19 countries who came into the U.S. after that date will be subjected to a re-review process that could include an interview to screen for all possible national security and public safety risks.
It also affects all green card and citizenship applications for anyone hailing from one of the now-restricted countries. Individuals from one of the 19 nations who have already passed the citizenship test will not be able to have U.S. citizenship ceremonies until after the guidance is lifted.
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“If you think about what Joe Biden did with the Department of Homeland Security, he used this department to invade the country with terrorists, he opened up the borders, let anybody come in that wanted to. He put them on airplanes, he led them through our airports, where, if they could figure out a way to get to our shores and into our country, he just opened the door and invited them in. So, it’s our job to get them out,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during President Donald Trump’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Several Reddit users on the “r/USCIS” subreddit have posted about their oath ceremonies being canceled. One user claiming to be from Portland, Ore., said his wife’s naturalization ceremony, which was set for Dec. 3, had been canceled. Many seemed to be unsure about why the ceremonies were no longer taking place, citing a lack of information.
A memo from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) outlining the new restrictions referenced the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. The suspect in the case is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. He has been charged with two counts of assault with intent to kill, one count of murder, and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
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Lakanwal’s defense attorney said in a hearing on Tuesday that his client pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace, Jake Gibson and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
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