In one of the most sweeping immigration shifts in years, the Trump Administration has ordered an immediate nationwide halt to pending asylum cases and suspended key immigration benefits for nationals of 19 countries deemed “high-risk."

Under the directive, all asylum cases − no matter where an applicant is from − are now on hold as the agency conducts what it calls a nationwide security review. The new policy also freezes immigration applications for individuals from the 19 countries who entered the United States during the Biden Administration. Individuals who received green cards and asylum in recent years may also be asked to undergo additional vetting.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the new directive in a Dec. 2 policy memo . The agency cited concerns about

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