USCIS adds vetting center, deepens re-reviews amid 19-country adjudication pause
USCIS has instituted a nationwide pause on adjudications for nationals of 19 “countries of concern,” directing officers to stop final decisions on all case types—including green cards and naturalizations—and to conduct a “full scale, rigorous reexamination” of approved benefit requests (including entrants on or after Jan. 20, 2021) with potential interviews, re-interviews, case prioritization within 90 days, and referrals to enforcement. Director Joseph Edlow has launched a new vetting center in Atlanta, expanded hiring for enforcement-focused roles amid agency workforce changes, and framed the measures as necessary to maximize vetting for national security after the D.C. shooting, with the pause’s duration left to his discretion.
📌 Key Facts
- USCIS announced a nationwide pause on adjudications for nationals of 19 named "countries of concern": Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen; and partial/limited restrictions for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
- The pause, effective immediately, covers all USCIS form types for affected nationals — including green card applications, naturalizations, asylum and refugee-related cases — and led to suspended Afghan applications the night of the D.C. shooting, canceled interviews and some halted oath ceremonies.
- USCIS issued internal guidance and a public policy memo directing a thorough re‑review of every applicant from the 19 countries (including re‑interviews or interviews), requiring a prioritized re‑review list within 90 days and allowing potential referral to enforcement; the duration of the pause is at the discretion of USCIS Director Joseph Edlow.
- USCIS has established a new vetting center in Atlanta and is recruiting a new "Homeland Defenders" workforce (including anti‑fraud roles and officers with arrest authority) as part of a broader agency shift toward enforcement; at least 1,300 federal employees accepted a voluntary resignation option amid these changes.
- The administration framed the actions as a national‑security response after the D.C. National Guard shooting (the suspect was identified as an Afghan national); DHS and Director Edlow emphasized protecting public safety while acknowledging intelligence gaps that could make vetting difficult or impossible in some cases.
- The White House signaled further expansion of travel or country restrictions and said it will re‑review Biden‑era approved refugee claims in addition to the 19‑country pause.
- USCIS acknowledged the operational impact on an already large backlog (roughly 11 million pending cases, including about 1.5 million pending asylum cases), saying adjudication delays are necessary to "vet to the maximum degree possible."
📊 Relevant Data
In 2020, immigrants were 60% less likely to be incarcerated than the US-born population.
Explainer: Immigrants and Crime in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
As of 2023, approximately 770,000 Venezuelan immigrants lived in the United States, accounting for slightly less than 2% of all immigrants.
Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
As of 2022, nearly 731,000 Haitian immigrants resided in the United States.
Haitian Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
As of 2023, there were approximately 1,450,808 immigrants from Cuba in the United States.
Cuban Americans — Wikipedia
In the period from September 2023 to July 2024, there were at least 4 domestic violent extremist attacks and 2 homegrown violent extremist attacks in the United States, resulting in 1 death from the domestic violent extremist attacks.
Homeland Threat Assessment 2025 — U.S. Department of Homeland Security
📰 Sources (10)
How Trump is remaking one agency to aid his deportation push
New information:
- USCIS has created a new vetting center to conduct interviews and re-review already approved immigration applications (announced last week by Director Joseph Edlow).
- At least 1,300 federal employees accepted the 'Fork in the Road' resignation offer as part of agency workforce changes.
- White House said it will re-review all Biden-era approved refugee claims in addition to the 19-country adjudication pause.
- USCIS job postings emphasize 'homeland defenders' and anti-fraud roles, reflecting a mission shift toward enforcement.
Trump brings legal immigration to a screeching halt
New information:
- Axios reports immediate operational impacts: USCIS interviews canceled and some applicants pulled from naturalization oath ceremonies for nationals on the 19‑country list.
- USCIS backlog context: ~11 million total pending cases; ~1.5 million pending asylum cases per latest posted data.
- USCIS initiatives: Director Joseph Edlow launching 'Homeland Defenders' hiring (including officers who can make arrests) and establishing a new vetting center in Atlanta.
- Direct DHS quote defending the pause and re‑review; Edlow quote acknowledging 'intelligence gaps' and that vetting may be 'impossible' in some cases.
Trump admin pauses immigration from 19 countries
New information:
- Administration frames the action as a pause on immigration from 19 countries, effective immediately, beyond USCIS adjudication language.
- Scope detail: nationals from the 19 countries who entered the U.S. on or after Jan. 20, 2021 will undergo a re-review that may include interviews.
- Operational impact reiterated: all green card and citizenship applications from these nationals are affected; individuals who already passed the citizenship test cannot proceed to oath ceremonies until guidance is lifted.
- Anecdotal on-the-ground evidence: reports of canceled oath ceremonies (e.g., Portland, Ore.) surfaced on USCIS-related forums.
- New on-record rhetoric from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem at a Cabinet meeting tying the pause to national security concerns in the wake of the D.C. National Guard shooting.
Trump administration halts immigration applications for migrants from 19 nations
New information:
- USCIS posted a public policy memo Tuesday formalizing the nationwide pause on adjudications for nationals of 19 countries.
- The memo states USCIS will create a prioritized list within 90 days for case re-review and potential referral to enforcement.
- Duration of the pause is at the discretion of USCIS Director Joseph Edlow.
- Scope explicitly includes green card applications and naturalizations for affected nationals, not only asylum cases.
- USCIS cites re-review of 'approved benefit requests' for entrants on or after January 20, 2021, in response to the D.C. National Guard shooting.
Trump administration halts all immigration applications from 19 countries
New information:
- Axios publishes the full list of the 19 affected countries: Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, Venezuela, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Yemen.
- USCIS memo requires a thorough re-review for every applicant from those countries, including potential interviews or re-interviews.
- Memo explicitly acknowledges adjudication delays but says they are necessary to ‘vet to the maximum degree possible.’
- Context updates: DHS Sec. Kristi Noem recommended widening travel restrictions; the White House says an expanded list is coming ‘soon.’
U.S. halts all immigration cases for nationals of 19 countries, guidance says
New information:
- Internal USCIS guidance directs officers to 'stop final adjudication on all cases' for nationals of the 19 'countries of concern.'
- The freeze explicitly includes completing naturalization oath ceremonies for eligible green‑card holders from those countries.
- DHS did not dispute the freeze in a statement to CBS, saying it aims to ensure 'the best of the best' become citizens.
- This pause goes beyond prior reporting of green‑card reviews by covering all USCIS form types for affected nationals.
Shooting of National Guard members prompts flurry of US immigration restrictions
New information:
- Edlow said on Nov. 27 USCIS is conducting a 'full scale, rigorous reexamination' of every green card from 'every country of concern' and declared 'American safety is non negotiable.'
- USCIS issued new guidance the same day signaling tougher scrutiny for applicants from 19 'high‑risk' countries when seeking immigration benefits.
Shooting of National Guard members prompts flurry of U.S. immigration restrictions
New information:
- Reiterates USCIS is reexamining green card applications for people from countries deemed 'of concern' as part of the week’s measures.
- Adds AP’s memo detail that a refugee-case review was in motion before the shooting.
Trump orders review of all green card holders from countries "of concern" after D.C. attack
New information:
- USCIS pointed to the June 4 proclamation to define the 19 'countries of concern' and enumerated them: full restrictions/limits for Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen; partial/limited entry for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
- USCIS confirmed it suspended all immigration applications from Afghan nationals with immediate effect on the night of the D.C. shooting.
- Direct quote from USCIS Director Joseph Edlow on X: 'The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount... American safety is non negotiable.'
- Context reaffirmed: The order followed identification of the D.C. shooting suspect as an Afghan national; review is described as a 'full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card' from countries of concern.