US halts all asylum and immigration applications from 19 ‘high-risk’ nations
Directive mandates immediate hold on asylum applications and pending benefit requests regardless of entry date
WASHINGTON, United States (MNTV) – The United States has ordered an immediate freeze on all asylum and immigration benefit applications filed by nationals of 19 countries designated as “high-risk.”
The sweeping directive follows the fatal shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan asylum recipient in Washington, D.C.
Under the new memorandum, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must halt all processing of Form I-589 asylum applications and suspend all pending immigration benefit requests for individuals from the listed countries, regardless of when they entered the U.S.
The order also mandates a “comprehensive re-review” of previously approved applications for nationals who entered on or after January 20, 2021.
Those individuals will undergo renewed vetting, including potential interviews, to reassess national security and public safety risks.
Countries listed in Presidential Proclamation 10949 include Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Venezuela, and several African states.
The policy was prompted by last week’s shooting of two National Guard members by a 29-year-old Afghan national who received asylum in April after entering the U.S. following the 2021 withdrawal.
He had previously worked with U.S. government agencies, including the CIA.
Legal experts expect immediate challenges, arguing the freeze amounts to unlawful discrimination based on nationality and could trap vulnerable asylum seekers in indefinite limbo.
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