US Suspends Green Card and Citizenship Processing for 19 Nations Following D.C. Security Incident
In a major policy decision reported on December 3, 2025, the United States announced a comprehensive halt to applications for Green Cards and naturalized citizenship for citizens originating from 19 specific non-US countries.
The Decision and Its Rationale
The suspension was enacted by President Donald Trump. This significant move in immigration policy immediately followed a shooting incident in Washington D.C. that involved members of the US National Guard security personnel.
The international news agency Reuters reported on the specifics of the implementation. Starting on a Tuesday, a decision was made to halt the further processing of existing Green Card and citizenship applications filed by citizens of these affected nations. Furthermore, the policy dictates that no new applications for permanent residency or citizenship will be accepted from these countries going forward.
This directive effectively puts all pathways to legal permanent status or naturalization on hold for individuals associated with the 19 nations, signifying a substantial restriction on US immigration.
The 19 Countries Affected by the Policy
The US government has placed restrictions on citizens from 19 distinct countries. The list of nations impacted by President Trump’s suspension includes states across various global regions.
The countries are:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
The implementation of this widespread halt to both existing case processing and the acceptance of new filings underscores the seriousness with which the US administration viewed the security incident involving the National Guard in D.C.. The news of this policy change was prominently featured in international news reports on December 3, 2025.
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