US halts immigration applications for 19 nations

WASHINGTON, Dec 03 (AFP): The US government has halted immigration applications for citizens from 19 nations including Afghanistan, Yemen and Haiti, an official memorandum said Tuesday, deepening the nation's sweeping crackdown on migration.

Authorities paused green card and citizenship processing, according to the memo, for people from countries already subject to travel restrictions announced in June by President Donald Trump.

Those 19 nations also include Venezuela, Sudan and Somalia.

Senior US officials have signaled in recent days they would starkly tighten restrictions on immigration, a move fueled by the shooting of two National Guard soldiers last week.

The main suspect in the shooting, which killed one, is an Afghan national.

The man, who on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to murder charges, entered the United States during mass evacuations as foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.