The United States government has announced a significant halt in immigration applications for citizens from 19 nations, deepening its sweeping crackdown on migration. This move includes pausing green card and citizenship processing for individuals from countries previously subjected to travel restrictions implemented in June by President Donald Trump. Among the nations affected are Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Venezuela, Sudan, and Somalia, in addition to Burundi, Chad, Republic of Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Turkmenistan.

This intensified approach to immigration policy comes after senior US officials signaled tighter restrictions, a sentiment amplified by the recent shooting of two National Guard soldiers, which resulted in one fatality. The main suspect in the shooting, an Afghan national who entered the US during mass evacuations in 2021, pleaded not guilty to murder charges. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a memorandum emphasizing its role in preventing terrorists from seeking safe haven and prioritizing the safety of Americans, citing the suspected shooter as an example of "what a lack of screening, vetting, and prioritizing expedient adjudications can do."

President Trump, who campaigned on a promise to deport millions of undocumented migrants, reiterated his stance following the shooting. On November 26, he declared plans to "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover." US Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem further advocated for an expanded travel ban list, stating on X, "I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies."

In addition to these federal policies, protests erupted outside City Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 1, 2025, against an ICE and Border Patrol operation. Furthermore, US media reported plans by federal authorities to launch a major immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota focusing on Somali immigrants. This sparked immediate pushback from local leaders, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who affirmed that state police would not cooperate, stating, "Our values and our commitments to the Somali community, to every community of immigrants and people in our city is rock solid and will be unwavering."

The President's announcement to freeze migration from all "third world countries" is anticipated to have far-reaching impacts, particularly on nations like Kenya, making the "American dream" more elusive. This could significantly limit the number of Kenyans migrating to the US, potentially undermining President William Ruto’s government's agenda of promoting labor export.