U.S. halts all immigration cases — including citizenship ceremonies — for nationals of 19 countries

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 -The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has directed a freeze on all immigration applications — including green‑card petitions, asylum requests, and naturalization procedures — for individuals from 19 specified “high‑risk” countries. That pause also includes completion of citizenship ceremonies: legal permanent residents from those countries who were ready to be sworn in as U.S. citizens have had their oath ceremonies canceled or delayed indefinitely.

The list of countries affected includes nations such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Cuba, Sudan, Eritrea, Haiti, Venezuela, and others that were already under immigration restrictions. According to the internal USCIS memo, all pending cases — irrespective of when they were filed — are now on hold while the administration conducts a comprehensive review of national‑security and public‑safety risks.

This sweeping pause represents one of the most significant overhauls of legal immigration procedures in recent years and has sparked concern from immigration‑rights advocates, lawyers, and affected individuals. Many see the move as a form of broad, nationality‑based suspension that could leave thousands in limbo.