U.S. Pauses Immigration Applications from 19 Designated Countries

The Trump administration has temporarily halted immigration applications from individuals in 19 nations it considers "high-risk." A White House memo released Tuesday announced the pause and outlined new screening measures. Under the new policy, immigrants from these countries who entered the United States during the Biden administration will face a comprehensive review of their requests for benefits. The memo also states that officials intend to apply extra scrutiny to immigrants from these nations who are already in the U.S. The administration did not immediately name the 19 affected countries. The move represents a significant shift in immigration vetting procedures during the final months of the president's term.