In a sweeping and highly controversial move, the Trump administration has halted nearly all immigration-related processes — including green card approvals and naturalizations — for migrants from 19 countries previously placed under a travel ban earlier this year.

The decision comes in response to the Thanksgiving week shooting near the White House, where an Afghan national was accused of killing one National Guard soldier and injuring another.

The changes were announced through a policy memo published Tuesday on the official website of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency responsible for processing all immigration benefits.

A Complete Freeze on Immigration Processing

The memo states that the pause affects:

• Green card applications
• Naturalization applications
• Other pending immigration benefits

The freeze applies to individuals from 19 countries designated as “high-risk.”

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow has the authority to decide when the pause will be lifted.

Full List of Affected Countries

The June travel ban had split the countries into two groups — those banned from entering the U.S. entirely and those facing restricted access. The new USCIS memo brings all 19 under review, including immigrants already living in the U.S.

Countries Fully Banned Earlier (12 nations):

1. Afghanistan
2. Myanmar
3. Chad
4. Republic of Congo
5. Equatorial Guinea
6. Eritrea
7. Haiti
8. Iran
9. Libya
10. Somalia
11. Sudan
12. Yemen

Countries With Restricted Access (7 nations):

13. Burundi
14. Cuba
15. Laos
16. Sierra Leone
17. Togo
18. Turkmenistan
19. Venezuela

Previously, no action was taken against immigrants already present in the U.S. before the travel ban went into effect. That protection has now effectively ended.

Immigrants Already in the U.S. Now Under Scrutiny

The USCIS memo confirms that the agency will conduct a comprehensive re-review of all approved benefit requests for immigrants from these countries who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021 — the beginning of the Biden administration.

This includes:

• Possible re-interviews
• Re-evaluation of previously approved cases
• Referrals to immigration enforcement or other law-enforcement agencies if necessary

Within 90 days, USCIS plans to create a prioritized list of cases for further action.

Why the Sudden Crackdown?

The administration has directly connected the new measures to the National Guard shooting case.

USCIS wrote:
“In light of identified concerns and the threat to the American people, a comprehensive re-review is necessary.”

The agency claims that lax vetting under the Biden administration may have allowed high-risk individuals to enter the country.

Additional Measures Already Announced

The freeze is part of a series of recent actions targeting migrants:

• USCIS halted all asylum decisions last week
• The State Department paused visa processing for Afghans who assisted the U.S. military
• The administration plans to re-review all refugee cases admitted during the Biden presidency

Critics Slam Move as ‘Collective Punishment’

Immigrant-rights advocates and policy experts have criticized the decision, arguing that the administration is using criminal acts committed by individuals to justify sweeping restrictions on entire nationalities.

They warn the pause could:

• Leave thousands of families in limbo
• Create severe backlogs
• Trigger legal challenges
• Harm migrants who have followed all U.S. laws

Still, the administration shows no signs of slowing down, signaling more immigration tightening in the coming weeks.

In a striking convergence of viewpoints from two influential figures, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, and former US President Donald Trump both emphasized the importance of skilled immigrants in America’s economic and technological future. Their messages—though delivered in entirely different contexts—highlight the complicated and evolving debate around H-1B visas, workforce shortages, and the United States’ leadership in innovation.

Pichai: Immigrants Are “Phenomenal” Contributors to America’s Tech Rise

During an interview with the BBC, Pichai—who moved to the US as an international student before transitioning to an H-1B visa—offered one of his most direct acknowledgments yet of immigrants’ role in shaping Silicon Valley and the country’s tech ecosystem.

“The contribution of immigrants to technology development has been nothing but phenomenal.” — Sundar Pichai

His remarks arrive just weeks after Trump announced a controversial $100,000 H-1B visa fee for new applicants, a move that sparked heated debate across the tech world.

Pichai acknowledged the flaws in the current system:

“There’s a framework by which we can still bring talented individuals… they’re making changes to address shortcomings.”

This is not the first time Pichai has spoken up. In June 2020, when the Trump administration suspended several immigrant work visas, he had posted on X:

“Immigration has contributed immensely to America’s economic success… making Google the company it is today.”

It was one of the clearest signals from Big Tech leadership against restrictive immigration actions.

Trump: Ready to Welcome Skilled Immigrants—even if it angers his base

In a separate event at the US–Saudi Investment Forum in New York, attended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump made comments that surprised both supporters and critics.

“I may take a little heat… but we will welcome skilled immigrants who can teach American workers.” — Donald Trump

Highlighting the wave of new advanced manufacturing plants being built across the United States—including those producing microchips, missile systems, telecommunication devices, and other “extremely complex” products—Trump stressed that American factories will need foreign experts to train local workers.

The former US President acknowledged that his voter base, particularly far-right supporters, may not appreciate his stance:

“The people that love me… they are to the right of center, sometimes way right. But we need skilled workers.”

Trump’s openness to high-skilled immigration stands in interesting contrast to his earlier hardline rhetoric and policies—especially considering the proposed $100,000 H-1B fee, which has drawn criticism for potentially discouraging foreign talent.

H-1B Visa Debate Intensifies

The United States faces a significant workforce shortage in specialized fields, including:

• Semiconductor engineering
• Defense manufacturing
• AI and robotics
• Advanced computing
• Aerospace design

Many companies, from Intel to Lockheed Martin, have repeatedly warned that their growth depends on attracting global talent.

Pichai’s and Trump’s comments—though coming from different motivations—signal a shared recognition:
America cannot maintain its technological edge without immigrants.

Why This Moment Matters

At a time when countries like Canada, Australia, and the U.K. are aggressively attracting skilled workers, the US risks losing its global advantage. Pichai’s remarks reflect Silicon Valley’s ongoing concerns, while Trump’s comments suggest the political tide may be shifting—at least on high-skilled immigration.

Whether this translates into meaningful policy change is yet to be seen, but the message is clear:

America’s technological future may depend on how it embraces global talent today.

In a bizarre and troubling incident, Kapil Raghu, an Indian man living in the US, is now fighting to restore his visa status after being wrongfully arrested and detained for nearly a month. Raghu’s nightmare began on May 3, 2025, when a routine traffic stop in Arkansas escalated into a wrongful arrest after officers mistook his Opium-labeled perfume bottle for narcotics.

Raghu, an Indian national married to an American woman, was working toward American citizenship when he was pulled over by law enforcement for having a reflective cover over his license plate. According to The Saline Courier, Raghu had been delivering pizzas at the time and was unaware that any offense had been committed.

“I was not doing anything wrong when he pulled me over. I was following all regulations,” Raghu told The Saline Courier in an interview. “The problem was he didn’t know for what cause he was arresting me. I asked what the arrest was for. I didn’t even know what I did wrong.”

Perfume Bottle Mistaken for Narcotics

The situation took a dark turn when an officer searched Raghu’s car and found a small bottle labeled “Opium.” The officer immediately accused Raghu of carrying narcotics in his possession.

“You got a vial of opium that was in your center console,” the officer allegedly told Raghu before instructing him to take a seat. Despite Raghu’s protests and clarification that the bottle contained cologne, the officer refused to believe him. Raghu was then taken into custody.

The Arkansas State Crime Lab later tested the contents of the bottle and confirmed it was perfume, not narcotics. However, this clarification came too late, and Raghu was still detained for three days in the Saline County Jail.

ICE Detention and Visa Troubles

While Raghu was in jail, immigration authorities discovered that his visa had expired. Despite being in the US with the intent to correct his expired visitor visa, Raghu was arrested by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and transferred to a federal immigration facility in Louisiana, where he was held for a further 30 days.

Raghu’s wife, Ashley Mays, expressed her frustration on a GoFundMe page, saying, “Despite cooperating fully, my husband was arrested, jailed, and then transferred to ICE custody on May 6th, 2025. This was especially devastating because we already had an immigration attorney before his visa ever expired—we were actively working to fix his status the right way.”

Deportation Fears and Impact on Family

Though Raghu was released in June 2025 after the charges were dropped, his ordeal is far from over. Mike Laux, Raghu’s attorney, warned that Raghu’s detention could pose a significant barrier in his pursuit of US citizenship. “Though released, Kapil now has a ‘deportation’ status, meaning he can be immediately deported for any minor offense, even jaywalking,” Laux said. “But, more crucially, this classification bars him from working and earning money for his family, which has been devastating for them.”

Raghu’s detention has not only affected his ability to stay in the country but has also strained his family’s financial stability, leaving them in limbo as they await a resolution of his visa situation.