DHS Expands Immigration Freeze

In a letter published on Thursday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, said that it will stop reviewing all outstanding applications from immigrants from the new nations for visas, green cards, citizenship, or asylum. Plans to reevaluate immigrant applications from certain nations as early as 2021 are also included in the document.

 Angola, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe are among the nations on the list, which is primarily made up of African nations. The list of nations with travel restrictions to the United States was increased by the Trump administration last month from 19 to 39, including the Palestinian Authority. 

The action coincides with the administration’s increased scrutiny of those who have followed the proper procedures to apply for permanent residence in the United States. The document lists a few exceptions, such as athletes and members of their teams participating at the Olympics and World Cup.

Source: NPR