The Donald Trump administration, through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has announced an immediate freeze on all pending asylum applications and a re-evaluation of immigration benefits for individuals from 19 countries, including some of Kenya’s neighbors, designated as “high-risk” under a recent presidential directive.
Among Kenya’s neighbors affected by the directive are Somalia, Sudan, and Eritrea.
Other countries affected by the directive include Burundi, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Afghanistan, and Yemen.
The remaining countries on the list of 19 are Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Trump Pauses All Immigration Applications from 19 Countries
In a statement dated December 2, 2025, USCIS ordered its personnel to halt the processing of all Form I-589 asylum applications nationwide, regardless of the applicant’s country of origin.
The agency also directed an immediate hold on all pending immigration benefit requests filed by individuals from countries listed in Presidential Proclamation 10949, which restricts the entry of certain foreign nationals deemed potential threats to U.S. national security or public safety.
“Effective immediately, this memorandum directs U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) personnel to:
Place a hold on all Forms 1-589 (Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal), regardless of the alien’s country of nationality, pending a comprehensive review,” read the statement.
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The memorandum further mandates a comprehensive re-review of previously approved benefits for immigrants from the listed countries who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021.
This includes applications such as green card replacements, adjustment of status, removal of conditions on residence, naturalization, residence preservation requests, and travel document applications.
According to the directive, all affected immigrants must undergo a thorough reassessment that may include a mandatory interview or re-interview.
USCIS Orders Mandatory Interviews, Tightens Screening for Immigrants
USCIS stressed that “interviews for this population shall not be waived under any circumstance,”.
The memo cites Presidential Proclamation 10949, issued on June 4, 2025, which restricts the entry of nationals from 19 high-risk countries.
This proclamation was made under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This section gives the president the power to restrict or halt entry for individuals deemed harmful to U.S. interests.
USCIS stated that its re-review will include an individualized assessment of national security and public safety concerns, as well as any grounds of inadmissibility or ineligibility.
The agency will also review related policies and procedures as part of the overall security improvements.
This directive does not affect USCIS screening activities such as credible fear and reasonable fear interviews, which remain operational.
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The memorandum outlining the new policy cites last week’s attack on U.S. National Guard members in Washington, where an Afghan national was arrested as a suspect. One Guard member was killed, and another remains in critical condition.
It also comes amid recent remarks by President Trump directed at Somali nationals, whose country appears on the list of 19 affected nations. He expressed strong concerns about admitting individuals from Somalia and suggested they may pose risks to the United States.
President Trump has been on an offensive campaign to effectively block a large segment of immigrants from entering the U.S., specifically by promising a “permanent pause” on migration from “all Third World Countries”.
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