Key takeaways

• The U.S. has canceled or postponed some citizenship ceremonies for migrants from 19 travel ban countries under a new security review.
• USCIS has halted most immigration benefit applications, including green cards and asylum, for people from the same “countries of concern.”
• The policy follows a deadly shooting involving an Afghan immigrant and is linked to Proclamation 10949 on high-risk countries.
• Rights groups say the move is unprecedented and warn that thousands of families face sudden uncertainty after years of legal process.
• Nepalis are not directly targeted, but the wider diaspora is watching the crackdown closely as immigration rules tighten.

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The U.S. government has canceled or postponed some citizenship ceremonies for migrants from 19 travel ban countries, leaving many applicants in limbo after years of waiting. The move is part of a wider order to pause almost all immigration cases for people from these “countries of concern,” following a deadly shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.

According to ABC News and other outlets, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has instructed field offices to place naturalization ceremonies for these nationals on hold. Ceremonies scheduled for this week for citizens of Venezuela, Iran, and Afghanistan were among those canceled at short notice, even for applicants who had already passed interviews and security checks.

Internal guidance seen by U.S. media shows that the Trump administration has halted all immigration benefit applications filed by people from the same 19 countries. The pause covers green card requests, asylum and refugee cases, extensions and changes of non-immigrant status, and other USCIS “discretionary benefit” decisions.

The policy implements Proclamation 10949, which lists 19 nations and territories facing full or partial U.S. travel bans because of alleged security and vetting failures. Those countries include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

USCIS has been ordered to pause pending benefit requests from citizens of these countries and to re-review some approvals issued since 2021. Officials say the review is needed to ensure strict national-security screening after an Afghan immigrant was accused of shooting two National Guard members near the U.S. Capitol, one of whom later died. The Department of Homeland Security has said the measures are temporary while it conducts a comprehensive review. A DHS spokesperson said the agency is “making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best” and that public safety is the priority, according to ABC News.

Immigration lawyers and rights groups say they have never seen citizenship ceremonies canceled on this scale for people who have already cleared background checks. Advocates argue the policy amounts to collective punishment based only on nationality and warn that thousands of families could lose jobs, travel plans, or voting rights because of the sudden pause.

For the broader immigrant and Nepali diaspora communities, the decision adds to uncertainty around U.S. immigration policy. Nepal is not on the current travel ban list, but Nepalis with family members from affected countries, or those in mixed-nationality households, may see delays or tougher scrutiny. Community lawyers are urging all migrants to closely monitor case updates and seek legal advice before international travel.