loader-image
weather icon 52°F

immigration border Trump Afghan asylum refugee.

FILE - Police officers block a street as demonstrators march at a protest opposing "Operation Midway Blitz" and the presence of ICE, Sept. 9, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)

Trump administration halts immigration applications for migrants from 19 travel-ban nations

The Trump administration is pausing immigration applications, including green cards, for people from 19 countries previously banned from travel. This decision follows the shooting of two National Guard troops in the nation’s capital last week. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the pause Tuesday in a policy memo. The agency will conduct a comprehensive review of immigration requests from these countries, described as high-risk. The pause affects immigrants already in the U.S., regardless of arrival date. The agency cited national security concerns and the recent shooting as reasons. Critics argue the actions amount to collective punishment for immigrants.

Read More »
FILE - Gerardo Santos lifts his son Xavier, 5, on his shoulders during a protest in reaction to immigration raids, July 11, 2025, in Oxnard, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Shooting of National Guard members prompts flurry of US immigration restrictions

The Trump administration has announced new immigration restrictions following the shooting of two National Guard members by a suspect who is an Afghan national. The administration is pausing asylum decisions, reexamining green card applications of people from countries “of concern” and halting visas for Afghans who assisted the U.S. war effort. These measures have faced criticism from refugee advocates who say they amount to collective punishment. The Trump administration has said these steps are necessary to ensure that those entering the country, or are already here, do not pose a security threat.

Read More »