Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump proclamation suspends entry of nationals from 26 countries and Palestinian Authority document holders, citing security and vetting deficiencies; effective January 1, 2026. — President Trump issued Proclamation 10998 suspending and limiting entry of foreign nationals from 26 designated countries and individuals holding Palestinian Authority travel documents. The proclamation continues restrictions on 12 countries (Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen) and 4 partially restricted countries (Burundi, Cuba, Togo, Venezuela), while adding 7 new full suspensions (Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Syria) and 15 new partial suspensions. Justifications include inadequate identity-management systems, high visa-overstay rates, terrorist presence, and corruption. Limited exceptions apply for diplomats, athletes, Special Immigrant Visa holders, and ethnic/religious minorities from Iran. The proclamation takes effect January 1, 2026.
• White House issues fact sheet on expanded travel restrictions affecting 22 countries and Palestinian Authority documents — The White House published a fact sheet on December 16, 2025, describing a proclamation signed by President Trump that expands entry restrictions on foreign nationals. The proclamation maintains full restrictions on 12 countries from a prior proclamation, adds full restrictions on 5 new countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria), adds restrictions on individuals holding Palestinian Authority travel documents, converts 2 countries from partial to full restrictions (Laos, Sierra Leone), lifts nonimmigrant visa restrictions on Turkmenistan while maintaining immigrant restrictions, and adds partial restrictions on 15 additional countries. The fact sheet cites visa overstay rates, terrorist presence, document fraud risks, and repatriation refusals as justifications.
• Trump administration expands travel ban to five additional countries — The Trump administration announced it will expand its travel ban to Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, along with fully restricting travel to the US for people with Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. Another 15 countries were also added to a list of countries with partial travel restrictions, including Angola, Nigeria, and Senegal.
• Trump issued proclamation expanding travel restrictions on foreign nationals from 34 countries and Palestinian Authority documents — President Trump signed Proclamation 10950 on December 16, 2025, expanding and modifying entry restrictions on foreign nationals. The proclamation continues full suspensions for 12 countries (Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen), adds seven countries to full suspension (Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Syria), suspends entry of individuals using Palestinian Authority travel documents, continues partial restrictions on four countries (Burundi, Cuba, Togo, Venezuela), modifies restrictions on Turkmenistan to allow nonimmigrant visas, and imposes new partial restrictions on 15 additional countries. The proclamation cites deficient screening and vetting capabilities, high visa-overstay rates, terrorism concerns, and corruption as justifications. It becomes effective January 1, 2026.
• Trump administration expands travel ban to 39 countries — The Trump administration expanded its travel ban from 19 to 39 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and others. The expanded ban also applies to people holding Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents, effectively restricting Palestinian travel rights.
• Trump signs proclamation expanding travel restrictions to five additional countries and Palestinian Authority document holders — President Trump signed a proclamation on December 17, 2025, expanding entry restrictions to nationals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, in addition to an initial list of 12 countries. The order also imposed full restrictions on individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents and partial restrictions on 15 additional countries. The White House justified the move as necessary to prevent entry of foreign nationals lacking sufficient vetting information, citing a November 26 shooting by an Afghan national as justification.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration halts visas for Afghan nationals who assisted US military — The Trump administration halted visa processing for Afghans who assisted the US war effort, reversing longstanding commitments to those who worked with American forces. The policy reversal came after a shooting by an Afghan national and follows Trump's vow to "permanently pause" migration from certain countries. Legal experts and advocates warn the targeting of Afghan nationals amounts to collective punishment.
• Trump administration pauses all asylum decisions nationwide — The Trump administration halted all asylum decisions through USCIS, affecting approximately 1.5 million pending cases. USCIS Director Joseph B Edlow announced the agency "has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible." The pause came after Trump vowed to "permanently pause" migration following a shooting by an Afghan national. The policy leaves asylum seekers in prolonged limbo and exacerbates existing backlogs.
• Trump administration re-evaluates green card applications from countries of concern — The Trump administration announced it is re-evaluating green card applications for people from countries designated as "of concern," part of a broader immigration restriction package. The policy affects legal permanent residency applications and compounds uncertainty for immigrants already in the US. The announcement followed a shooting by an Afghan national and Trump's pledge to restrict migration.
• Trump administration targeted Afghan immigrants for deportation — The New York Times reported that the Trump administration is targeting Afghan immigrants who had previously been ordered to leave the US following the shooting of two National Guard troops in DC last week, with an ICE official directing agents to locate and apprehend more than 1,860 Afghans who have received final deportation orders but aren't currently in detention.
• USCIS suspended immigration applications from 19 countries — USCIS issued a policy memo suspending all immigration applications filed by people from the 19 countries included in Trump's travel ban, including green card and US citizenship processing. The memo also directed agency staffers to conduct a "comprehensive re-review" of approved benefit requests for immigrants from the 19 countries who entered the US since Biden was inaugurated in 2021.
• Trump administration pauses asylum applications and imposes heightened scrutiny on migrants from 19 countries — President Trump directed US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to pause consideration of approximately 1.5 million pending asylum applications, citing a shooting allegedly committed by an Afghan national. Simultaneously, USCIS paused processing of immigration benefits—including work authorizations, green cards, naturalization, and family sponsorships—for nationals of 19 designated "high-risk" countries. The administration also ordered a comprehensive re-review of all immigration applications approved since January 20, 2021, for nationals of those countries, potentially requiring new interviews to assess national security and public safety threats.
• USCIS cancels naturalization ceremonies for individuals on travel ban list — Reports indicate that naturalization ceremonies for people on the US travel ban list are being canceled as part of the broader immigration crackdown. The cancellations affect individuals who have already completed the naturalization process and were scheduled to receive citizenship certificates, leaving them in legal limbo and preventing them from completing their path to citizenship.
• USCIS halts immigration applications from 19 countries under travel restrictions — On December 3, 2025, US Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a policy memo imposing an immediate "adjudicative hold" on all asylum applications and ordering a comprehensive re-review of individuals from 19 "high-risk countries" who entered the US after January 20, 2021. The 19 countries—Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen—are already under partial or full US travel restrictions. The action follows the shooting of two national guard members in Washington DC by an Afghan national granted asylum earlier in 2025.
• Trump administration pauses immigration applications from 19 countries — In the same period as the Haiti TPS termination, the Trump administration moved to pause nearly all immigration applications from 19 "countries of concern," described as overwhelmingly non-European nations including Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and Haiti. The pause affects applicants from these designated countries and represents a broader restriction on immigration processing.

Supporting reports

• US Citizenship and Immigration Services suspends Afghan immigration requests — On the evening of December 4, 2025, US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an immediate suspension of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals "indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols." This action followed the shooting incident involving an Afghan national and was part of the broader escalation of anti-immigrant measures by the Trump administration.
• Trump administration halts visas for Afghan nationals who assisted US military — The Trump administration halted visa processing for Afghans who assisted the US war effort, reversing longstanding commitments to those who worked with American forces. The policy reversal came after a shooting by an Afghan national and follows Trump's vow to "permanently pause" migration from certain countries. Legal experts and advocates warn the targeting of Afghan nationals amounts to collective punishment.

Supporting reports

• Afghan SIV translator detained by ICE despite legal entry and green card processing — Zia S, a 35-year-old Afghan wartime translator who legally entered the US in October 2024 with an approved special immigrant visa (SIV) and humanitarian parole, was arrested by masked ICE agents on July 16, 2025, during a routine biometrics appointment for his green card in East Hartford, Connecticut. He was transported to a detention facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. A judge issued a temporary stay preventing his removal, but he remains detained. DHS claims he is under investigation for an unspecified "serious criminal allegation," which his attorney denies. He is the third known Afghan ally to be seized by ICE since Trump returned to power.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration imposes travel ban affecting veterans' translators — The Trump administration has imposed a travel ban on visitors from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, where many US veterans served alongside translators who risked their lives for the US. This decision, made shortly after Trump took office in January, includes a pause on the US refugee admissions program, putting the safety of these translators in doubt. Veterans and advocates have criticized the move, highlighting the danger it poses to individuals who supported US military efforts abroad.