DHS Expands Pause On Immigration Applications For 20 More Countries
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has paused the processing of immigration applications from 20 additional countries, expanding a controversial policy just days into 2026 as immigration systems already strain under new restrictions. According to NPR reporting, the change affects pending cases for visas, green cards, naturalization and asylum and could reopen the status of applicants previously approved.
The expanded pause raises fresh tension over U.S. immigration policy, coming after the travel restrictions list was widened from 19 to 39 countries plus the Palestinian Authority this month. Advocates warn that freezing legal immigration pathways will create uncertainty and delay for thousands of applicants who have followed established processes.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of DHS, said in an internal memo that it will halt review of all applications from the newly designated countries of concern and undertake a broader re-review of cases dating back to 2021 for people from those nations. The list is composed largely of African countries including Angola, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
The memo says DHS is acting to ensure that individuals from countries with “high overstay rates, significant fraud, or both” do not pose risks to national security or public safety.
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“USCIS remains dedicated to ensuring aliens from high-risk countries of concern who have entered the United States do not pose risks to national security.” — USCIS memo language.
Immigrant rights groups contend the move undermines legal immigration and will disproportionately impact applicants with longstanding ties to U.S. families and communities.
Federal courts may be the next battleground as affected individuals and advocates challenge the scope and legality of the pause.
What happens next is likely to hinge on litigation outcomes and possible policy revisions from DHS, as processing remains on hold for now.
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