The U.S. government has suspended the processing of immigration applications for citizens of 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Yemen, and Haiti, according to an official memorandum published on Tuesday, LETA reports citing AFP.
Authorities have halted the procedures for issuing green cards and granting citizenship to individuals from countries already affected by the entry restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump in June.
Among these 19 countries are Venezuela, Sudan, and Somalia.
Senior U.S. officials have indicated in recent days that they intend to significantly tighten immigration restrictions.
These steps were taken following a shooting that occurred last week in Washington, which resulted in two National Guard members — Andrew Wolf and Sarah Beckstrom — being injured. Beckstrom died from her injuries.
The shooter was Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a citizen of Afghanistan who arrived in the U.S. during the mass evacuation when foreign forces left Afghanistan in 2021.
On Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
"The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plays a crucial role in preventing terrorists from finding safe haven in the United States and must ensure that the checks, verifications, and decisions made by USCIS are primarily focused on ensuring the safety of Americans and upholding all U.S. laws," the memorandum states.
The U.S. has just experienced firsthand, "what insufficient checks can lead to," USCIS noted, reminding about the shooting of National Guard members in Washington.
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